Here are the latest local, regional and national coronavirus headlines (COVID-19) for Friday, May 13, 2022:
- Public Health Ontario reported 14 deaths Thursday to bring the total to 13,034. There are 1,451 people in hospital (all hospitals reporting), 175 in ICU (down one from the previous day) and 75 on a ventilator (down six from the previous day). Although PHO reported 2,160 new cases Thursday, the statistic is likely lower than the number of infections given the limited testing in Ontario. The total case count is 1,281,360.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total (as of 9 a.m. May 12) is 3,806,625. The country has 39,984 deaths from the virus – 25 in the Yukon, 22 in the Northwest Territories, seven in Nunavut, 3,226 in British Columbia, 4,391 in Alberta, 1,323 in Saskatchewan, 1,819 in Manitoba, 13,020 in Ontario, 15,201 in Quebec, 406 in New Brunswick, 32 in PEI, 176 in Newfoundland & Labrador and 336 in Nova Scotia.
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit area had 13 people in hospital Thursday (two fewer than Wednesday) with one in the ICU (no change from Wednesday). The number of deaths to date is 226 (no change from Wednesday). There are eight (one fewer than Wednesday). Test positivity from limited testing in high-risk populations is 11.9 per cent (up 0.1 from Wednesday) based on 187,638 tests (30 more than Wednesday). Public Health Ontario says the cumulative case total for the region as of Thursday is 15,715.
- In its Wednesday report, the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit had seven people in hospital (no change from Monday), three in the ICU (no change from Monday) and zero on a ventilator (no change from Monday). The number of deaths to date is 104 (three more than Monday). There were 55 cases added since Monday from limited testing. Local case numbers are updated Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Public Health Ontario says the cumulative case count for the region as of Thursday is 9,061. There are seven lab-confirmed outbreaks in congregate care, communal living and other facilities (two more than Monday). A partial list of active .
- Vaccines: Ontario 33,027,991 (+29,173, last update May 12); EOHU 478,157 (last update May 12, +476 from previous update May 11); LGL 446,395 (LGL says doses in last week was 3,107, last update May 9).
- The province’s chief medical officer of health is predicting a “calm summer” when it comes to COVID-19. Dr. Kieran Moore is still concerned though about other sub variants of Omicron – the BA4 and BA5 strains detected in South Africa. They are more transmissible than the previous BA2 variant.
- U.S. President Joe Biden has called on world leaders to continue their commitment to fighting COVID-19. Biden said “this pandemic isn’t over” in a pre-taped address to the second global coronavirus summit. The United States is approached one million deaths since the pandemic began in March 2020.
- There’s a nationwide lockdown in North Korea as the country deals with its first acknowledged coronavirus outbreak. With a poor health care system and millions unvaccinated, the outbreak could have tragic consequences.
Thank you for reading the latest edition of the Newswatch COVID-19 Digest, published Monday to Friday at 6 a.m.