Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Saturday, April 18, 2020:
- There have been 9,525 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 564 cases (or 6.3 per cent) from the previous day. There are 4,556 people recovered from the virus while 478 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 136,992 of which 5,993 have pending results.
- Canada’s COVID-19 case total is 31,884. The country has 1,309 COVID-19 related deaths – 77 in British Columbia, 50 in Alberta, four in Saskatchewan, five in Manitoba, 478 in Ontario, 688 in Quebec, three in Newfoundland & Labrador and four in Nova Scotia.
- The local health unit reported another three positive cases of COVID-19 on Friday and another four deaths, bringing the total to 247 cases and 32 deaths in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties. Close to 60 per cent of cases have been in long term care homes in the tri-counties with 29 of the 32 deaths happening in those homes.
- The Ontario government has partnered with Rogers and Apple to purchase 21,000 iPads set up with wireless data so students in need can continue with the province’s Learn from Home curriculum. The devices are being sent out to school boards. Rogers is providing the data at no cost until the end of June.
- The province is expanding child care for more front line workers. It will include staff working in victim services, First Nations police officers, probation and parole officers, power workers, RCMP, CBSA and Canada Post employees, to name a few.
- Starting at noon on Monday, anybody boarding a domestic flight will have to have some sort of face mask. They will only have to wear it if they have to be close to others like screening points or if the plane is crowded.
- You know that big run on toilet paper? Well, we now have some hard numbers. The Forest Products Association of Canada says the demand for TP went up by 241 per cent since the pandemic started.
Have a story or news release related to COVID-19? Send it along for possible inclusion in a future digest on Brockville Newswatch. Email editor@brockvillenewswatch.com. Please put “COVID-19 Digest” in the subject line.