Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Thursday, June 11, 2020:
- There have been 31,341 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 251 (or 0.7 per cent) from the previous day. There are 25,380 people recovered from the virus while 2,475 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 900,339 of which 13,897 have pending results.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total is 97,125. The country has 7,960 deaths from the virus – 167 in British Columbia, 151 in Alberta, 13 in Saskatchewan, seven in Manitoba, 2,475 in Ontario, 5,081 in Quebec, one in New Brunswick, three in Newfoundland & Labrador and 62 in Nova Scotia.
- The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit area remained the same Wednesday with 351 confirmed cases and 50 deaths. There are 286 cases (95 per cent) resolved. For community cases in Leeds-Grenville, there are 23 in the central region (22 resolved), 13 in the west (11 resolved) and 17 in the east (14 resolved).
- One new coronavirus case has been declared in Prescott-Russell, bringing the total of confirmed cases in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit area to 152. Of those, 123 are resolved. There are two people in hospital, one in ICU. Eleven people have died.
- Premier Doug Ford and Deputy Premier Christine Elliott were being tested for COVID-19 after Education Minister Stephen Lecce came into contact with someone who tested positive for novel coronavirus. Lecce was tested Tuesday and the results came back negative Wednesday afternoon. Colleges and Universities Minister Ross Romano helmed the daily press conference at Queen’s Park as Ford and Elliott didn’t attend out of an abundance of caution.
- Ontario Colleges and Universities Minister Ross Romano has outlined a plan for college and university students to finish their education. Romano says those students who needed on-campus hours to graduate, will be going back to class during a period from July 2 through the end of September. The July start date will give institutions time to set up social distancing plans.
- Shortly after Romano’s announcement, St. Lawrence College President Glenn Vollebregt released a statement calling the news “tremendous” for students in the Cornwall, Brockville and Kingston campuses and those students potential employers. The in-class instruction will be prioritized to key high demand sectors of the current economy such as nursing, personal support work, child care, engineering and construction.
- A federal COVID-19 benefit program for those with disabilities and expanding the wage subsidy program was delayed after the aid bill was rejected by the opposition parties. Meantime, the parliamentary budget officer believes extending the Canada Emergency Response Benefit through January 2021, which would cost nearly $58 billion, might be an incentive for some people not go to back to work right away.
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