Newswatch COVID-19 Digest: Tuesday March 22, 2022

Here are the latest local, regional and national coronavirus headlines (COVID-19) for Tuesday, March 22, 2022:

  • Public Health Ontario reported three deaths Monday to bring the total to 12,336. Day to day change was four as one old case was added through data clean-up. There are 551 people in hospital (~10 per cent of hospitals not reporting weekend bed census), 181 in ICU (down one from the previous day) and 94 on a ventilator (down three from the previous day). Although PHO reported 1,217 new cases Monday, the statistic is likely lower than the number of infections given the limited testing in Ontario. The total case count is 1,139,418.
  • Canada’s coronavirus case total (as of 9 a.m. March 21) is 3,397,593. The country has 37,169 deaths from the virus – 23 in the Yukon, 20 in the Northwest Territories, five in Nunavut, 2,966 in British Columbia, 4,023 in Alberta, 1,176 in Saskatchewan, 1,726 in Manitoba, 12,332 in Ontario, 14,245 in Quebec, 320 in New Brunswick, 16 in PEI, 85 in Newfoundland & Labrador and 232 in Nova Scotia.
  • There are four people in hospital in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit area as of Monday (three more than Friday) with zero in the ICU (no change from Friday). The number of deaths to date is 209 (no change from Friday). There are three (one more than Friday). Test positivity from limited testing in high-risk populations is 10.7 per cent (up 0.2 from Friday) based on 185,224 tests (57 more than Friday). Public Health Ontario says the cumulative case total for the region as of Monday is 13,995.
  • In its Monday report, the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit has 15 people in hospital (one fewer than Friday), nine in the ICU (one more than Friday) and four on a ventilator (no change from Friday). The number of deaths to date is 86 (no change from Friday). There were 41 cases added since Friday but due to limited testing, the number of cases locally is likely higher than what is being reported. Local case numbers are updated Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Public Health Ontario says the cumulative case count for the region as of Monday is 7,127. There are four lab-confirmed outbreaks in congregate care, communal living and other facilities (one fewer than Friday). A partial list of active .
  • Vaccines: Ontario 31,975,075 (+5,281, last update March 21); EOHU 461,740 (last update March 21, +171 from previous update March 18); LGL 162,211 individuals living in LGL with first doses, 157,312 with second doses, 105,502 with third doses, 2,333 with fourth doses. (last update March 13, +33 first doses, +208 second doses, +397 third doses, +170 fourth doses since previous update March 6).
  • One the first day of dropping masking mandates, there was various levels of reception to the new rules in SD&G. At a Long Sault coffee shop, around 90 per cent of people coming through the door were still wearing masks. But at a Cornwall distribution center, almost everyone was maskless. Mask mandates across Ontario ended for almost all indoor spaces, except for public transit, long-term care and health care facilities.
  • An Ottawa man has been charged, accused of setting fire to the lobby of a downtown apartment building during the height of the anti-mandate protest. Connor Russell McDonald, 21, is facing arson, mischief and possession of incendiary material charges. But police say there’s no information suggesting McDonald was part of the protest.
  • More people aboard the notorious Sunwing party flight from Montreal to Mexico last year are facing fines up to $5,000. About a dozen tickets have been given out and Transport Canada says more are expected. Videos of the December flight showed people disobeying just about every COVID-19 mandate at the time.
  • A COVID-19 flareup in a Chinese city has temporarily closed a tourist attraction. Shanghai Disney is closed as the city deals with the biggest spate of cases in two years.

Have a story or news release related to COVID-19? Send it along for possible inclusion in a future digest on Cornwall Newswatch. Email editor@cornwallnewswatch.com. Please put “COVID-19 Digest” in the subject line.