Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Thursday, October 8, 2020:
- There have been 55,945 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 583 (or 1.1 per cent) from the previous day. There are 47,613 people recovered from the virus while 2,988 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 4,212,623 of which 55,413 have pending results.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total is 173,123. The country has 9,541 deaths from the virus – 244 in British Columbia, 281 in Alberta, 24 in Saskatchewan, 27 in Manitoba, 2,988 in Ontario, 5,906 in Quebec, two in New Brunswick, four in Newfoundland & Labrador and 65 in Nova Scotia.
- There was one new case added Wednesday in the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit region to bring the regional total to 401 confirmed cases with nine active and 340 recovered. The breakdown is: Leeds-Grenville East (three active), Leeds-Grenville Central (two active), Leeds-Grenville West (two active), Lanark County West (two active) and Lanark County East (zero active). Fifty-two people have died during the coronavirus crisis.
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit region added five more cases on Wednesday to bring the total to 310 confirmed positive cases. There are two in Russell, one in Clarence-Rockland, one in Hawkesbury and one in South Glengarry There are 86 active cases and 212 resolved. Two people are in hospital, 12 deaths to date and one institutional outbreak in Embrun (the outbreak in Limoges was declared over on Tuesday). Testing numbers increased 730 to 66,143.
- Premier Doug Ford reiterated that people should be sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner only with the people you live with. If you live alone, you can pair up with one other household, Ford said.
- Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam says average daily cases of COVID-19 were up 40 per cent last week compared to the previous week. The average daily count was 2,052 over the last week.
- There are 18 members of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League who have tested positive. The players and staff of the team have been placed in isolation for 14 days. Practices and been suspended indefinitely.
- U.S. President Donald Trump remained out of sight on his second day home at the White House after leaving Walter Reed Medical Center. U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci warns deaths could reach 400,000 if people don’t follow health guidelines.
- Entrepreneurs are reducing operating costs and improving cash flow as a second wave of COVID-19 takes hold, according to the Business Development Bank of Canada. The organization reports at least three quarters of small and medium-sized businesses took a hit on revenue and profit during the first wave.
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canadians will have access to a vaccine that will be covered under the country’s universal health-care system. Trudeau was responding to NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who told the House of Commons that Canadians are worried whether they will have access and have a COVID-19 shot for free.
- Filming of the latest Jurassic World movie has been shut down after several people on the set tested positive for COVID-19. The movie’s release is already pushed back from the upcoming summer to the summer of 2022.
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.