Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Thursday, July 23, 2020:
- There have been 38,107 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 165 (or 0.4 per cent) from the previous day. There are 33,812 people recovered from the virus while 2,755 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 1,934,099 of which 18,881 have pending results.
- Following the concerning trend noted by health officials Tuesday, Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott tweeted that over half of the province’s new cases are people under the age of 40.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total is 112,240. The country has 8,870 deaths from the virus – 189 in British Columbia, 174 in Alberta, 15 in Saskatchewan, seven in Manitoba, 2,755 in Ontario, 5,662 in Quebec, two in New Brunswick, three in Newfoundland & Labrador and 63 in Nova Scotia.
- There are no active coronavirus cases in the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit region. The number of cases was 355 cases, 52 deaths and 303 recoveries.
- Another case in SD&G brings the regional total in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit region to 173 confirmed cases with 151 resolved. The latest case is a man in his 30s. There are two people in hospital. There have been 11 deaths to date. Testing increased by 680 to 25,093.
- The Upper Canada District School Board is telling Education Minister Stephen Lecce that a regular school day is the only suitable option as students head back to class in six weeks. Read that story here.
- The Ontario government is looking to increase fines for landlords unlawfully evicting tenants. The government says the proposed legislation would reinforce the need for landlords to figure out repayment agreements with their tenants. A bad faith eviction notice could see a tenant receive up to 12 months in rent as compensation. Tenants and landlords have both struggled during the COVID-19 crisis. In some cases rent has gone unpaid, even though there have been rent relief programs.
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has agreed to appear before a House of Commons finance committee looking into the Liberal government’s decision to give a $900 million administrative contract to WE Charity for the student-volunteer funding program. No date or time has been set for Trudeau’s appearance.
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.