Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Tuesday, May 12, 2020:
- There have been 20,546 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 308 cases (or 1.5 per cent) from the previous day. There are 15,131 people recovered from the virus while 1,669 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 447,964 of which 13,970 have pending results.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total is 69,981. The country has 4,993 deaths from the virus – 130 in British Columbia, 117 in Alberta, six in Saskatchewan, seven in Manitoba, 1,669 in Ontario, 3,013 in Quebec, three in Newfoundland & Labrador and 48 in Nova Scotia.
- The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties added another five cases over the weekend to a new total of 319 cases. There were three more deaths as well, bringing the total to 46. All but three of the deaths have been in long term care facilities. The Leeds-Grenville community cases were 20 in the central region (17 recovered), 13 in the western region (10 recovered) and nine in the eastern region (five recovered).
- The number of deaths in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit rose by one on Monday, bringing the total to eight. The overall count of positive cases also rose by two to 132 with 71 resolved (six more than Sunday).
- The federal government has announced a Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility program for bridge financing for those companies that can’t get conventional loans during the pandemic. It’s aimed at companies that have more than $300 million a year in revenue.
- The deputy prime minister says any opening of the Canada-U.S. border will be made with a prudent and sensible approach. The border has been closed to non-essential traffic since March and that agreement is set to expire May 21. Talks are ongoing between the two countries.
- New York City’s death toll may be thousands higher than what is officially reported, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study. Between mid-March and early this month about 24,000 more people died than usual for the time of year. That’s also 5,300 more than the toll of COVID-19 deaths.
- Quebec Premier Francois Legault may consider postponing the reopening of schools and shops planned for the Greater Montreal Area on May 25. Elementary schools outside the metro area opened yesterday morning but the student body was roughly two-thirds of what it normally would be.
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