Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Wednesday, November 25, 2020:
- There have been 106,510 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 1,009 (or 1.0 per cent) from the previous day. Public Health Ontario says a technical issue resulted in an overestimation of cases Monday and an underestimation on Tuesday. There are 90,074 people recovered from the virus while 3,519 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 5,984,776 of which 29,316 have pending results.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total is 342,444. The country has 11,618 deaths from the virus – one in the Yukon, 358 in British Columbia, 492 in Alberta, 37 in Saskatchewan, 248 in Manitoba, 3,519 in Ontario, 6,887 in Quebec, seven in New Brunswick, four in Newfoundland & Labrador and 65 in Nova Scotia.
- The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit added one new case Tuesday to bring the total to 481 confirmed cases. There are seven active cases and 421 are recovered. There are two people in hospital, both in ICU and one on a ventilator. The community case breakdown is: Leeds-Grenville East (one active), Leeds-Grenville Central (zero active), Leeds-Grenville West (two active), Lanark County West (zero active) and Lanark County East (four active). The total number of deaths is 53. There are no active institutional outbreaks.
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit area added three cases on Tuesday to bring the regional total to 805 confirmed cases. The number of active cases dropped by six to 100, while resolved cases increased by eight to 675. There have been 30 deaths associated with the virus, one more than Monday. Four people are in hospital (one fewer than Monday). There are three active outbreaks (includes nursing homes, schools and daycare). Testing increased by 556 to 81,570.
- The provincial government has 1.2 million Panbio tests and 98,000 ID Now rapid tests that are being deployed across the province. The test units are being rolled out to nursing and retirement homes as well as hospitals in rural and remote areas.
- Quebec will be monitoring staff working at multiple long-term care homes. The health minister will create a registry where staff would be documented if they have to work at more than one home.
- Yukon is making non-medical masks mandatory in indoor public spaces as of Dec. 1 for Yukoners over the age of 2. Premier Sandy Silver says there will be limited exceptions. The territory is in a second wave of the virus.
- While there is no firm date, the federal government is making assurances there is a plan to distribute a vaccine when it’s available. The procurement minister says the government is working on an end-to-end chain to handle vaccines, which includes buying freezers to handle the doses.
- Online learning doesn’t seem to be going over well in the post-secondary circle. A survey of students, faculty and academic librarians shows 62 per cent of students and over three-quarters of faculty and librarians believes online learning has eroded the quality of education.
- U.S. infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci says America could see well over 300,000 COVID deaths by the end of the year if the current state of the virus’ spread doesn’t change. The U.S. has just over 258,000 deaths right now, according to Johns Hopkins University of Medicine. His comments come as Americans get ready for the Thanksgiving holiday this weekend, despite warnings from Fauci and the CDC not to travel.
- Hockey Canada suspended all activities Tuesday at the national junior selection camp in Alberta after two players tested positive. Players and staff will undergo testing before play resumes. The two affected players are in quarantine.
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