Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Tuesday, January 5, 2021:
- There have been 194,232 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 3,270 (or 1.6 per cent) from the previous day. There are 164,775 people recovered from the virus while 4,679 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 8,142,953 of which 19,683 have pending results.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total is 611,424. The country has 16,074 deaths from the virus – one in the Yukon, one in Nunavut, 946 in British Columbia, 1,142 in Alberta, 160 in Saskatchewan, 688 in Manitoba, 4,679 in Ontario, 8,379 in Quebec, nine in New Brunswick, four in Newfoundland & Labrador and 65 in Nova Scotia.
- The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit has added 33 new cases since last Wednesday (Dec. 30), to bring the regional total to 707 confirmed cases. Of those, 44 are active (up 16) and 610 are recovered (up 17). There have been 53 deaths to date. There are no institutional outbreaks. The community case breakdown is: Lanark County East (four active), Lanark County West (six active), Leeds-Grenville Central (10 active), Leeds-Grenville East (12 active) and Leeds-Grenville West (11 active).
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit has added 255 cases since New Year’s Eve – 102 in Prescott-Russell, 60 in SD&G, 83 in Cornwall and 10 in Akwesasne – to bring the total to 1,689. Of those, 469 are active (up 173) and 1,186 are resolved (up 81). There have been 34 deaths to date, one more than the previous report. Seven people are in hospital (up one). There are 15 active institutional outbreaks. Testing increased by 638 to 95,357.
- Eastern Ontario Health Unit Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis told CityNews Ottawa that nearly two-thirds of the recent cases in the region are from close contacts under the same roof.
- There are three new Ontario cases of the highly contagious variant of COVID-19, first discovered in the United Kingdom, bringing the total to six cases. Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Barbara Yaffe confirmed the new cases during a Queen’s Park news conference Monday. She says all the cases are either someone who has travelled or has had close contact with a traveller. The cases are in York, Peel and Toronto.
- Ontario Provincial Police detachments across the region have put limits on processing criminal record and vulnerable sector checks during the 28-day lockdown. The service will only be available to essential workers and volunteers by appointment only.
- Facing public backlash over politicians travelling outside the country, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has accepted the resignation of his municipal affairs minister, Tracy Allard. He has also asked his chief of staff, Jamie Huckabay, to step down. Other members of the caucus who travelled have been stripped of their responsibilities.
- Saskatchewan Highways Minister Joe Hargrave has resigned. Hargrave had initially apologized for travelling to the U.S. to sell his vacation home but the Opposition NDP felt the timing and the explanation were suspect.
- A new lockdown is in place for England until at least the middle of next month. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says people must stay home, similar to the first wave in March.
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.