Newswatch COVID-19 Digest: Saturday May 9, 2020

(LGL Health Unit via Newswatch Group)

Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Saturday, May 9, 2020:

  • There have been 19,598 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 477 cases (or 2.5 per cent) from the previous day. There are 13,990 people recovered from the virus while 1,540 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 397,149 of which 14,641 have pending results.
  • Canada’s coronavirus case total is 66,434. The country has 4,569 deaths from the virus – 127 in British Columbia, 115 in Alberta, six in Saskatchewan, seven in Manitoba, 1,540 in Ontario, 2,725 in Quebec, three in Newfoundland & Labrador and 46 in Nova Scotia.
  • The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties added another case bring its total of confirmed cases to 314. The number of deaths remain at 43. For community cases in Leeds-Grenville, there are 18 in the central region (16 recovered), 12 in the west (10 recovered) and seven in the east (five recovered).
  • The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark Health Unit has another outbreak at a long term care home – this time in Brockville. A staff member at Royal Brock Retirement Residence is isolating at home after testing positive. There are now five active outbreaks in the region.
  • The Eastern Ontario Health Unit reported another 18 cases on Friday, bringing the total to 130. More tragedy at a Plantagenet nursing home as four more residents of Pinecrest died, bringing the total number of deaths to six.
  • Ontario is allowing professional sports training facilities to reopen, provided the leagues have infection and safety control measures in place. Both the Toronto Raptors and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) say limited player workouts will start next week.
  • The federal government is extending its emergency wage subsidy program beyond when it was supposed to end in early June. It covers 75 per cent of worker’s wages up to $847 a week. Details on the extension are expected next week. This extension comes as the country learned almost two million jobs were lost in April – a record high.
  • A high profile curling tournament has been cancelled for this year. The Shorty Jenkins Classic, usually held in mid-September at the Cornwall Curling Center, has been scrubbed due to the coronavirus pandemic. It will return in 2021 for the tournament’s 25th anniversary. The tournament used to be held in Brockville until 2015.

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.