Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Thursday, January 7, 2021:
- There have been 200,626 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 3,266 (or 1.7 per cent) from the previous day. There are 169,795 people recovered from the virus while 4,767 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 8,229,150 of which 55,484 have pending results.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total is 626,799. The country has 16,369 deaths from the virus – one in the Yukon, one in Nunavut, 962 in British Columbia, 1,193 in Alberta, 174 in Saskatchewan, 705 in Manitoba, 4,767 in Ontario, 8,488 in Quebec, nine in New Brunswick, four in Newfoundland & Labrador and 65 in Nova Scotia.
- The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit added 13 cases Wednesday, to bring the regional total to 723 confirmed cases. Of those, 45 are active (four more than the previous day) and 625 are recovered (nine more than the previous day). 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 (nine active), Leeds-Grenville Central (12 active), Leeds-Grenville East (nine active) and Leeds-Grenville West (10 active).
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit added 36 cases Wednesday – 13 in Prescott-Russell, 11 in SD&G and 12 in Cornwall – to bring the total to 1,766. Of those, 511 are active (up 22) and 1,219 are resolved (up 12). There have been 35 deaths to date, one more than the previous day. Six people are in hospital (one fewer than Tuesday). There are 15 active institutional outbreaks. Testing increased by 438 to 95,848.
- The Ontario government has launched a COVID-19 testing pilot project at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. The no-fee, voluntary program will see international travellers test themselves while supervised by a health professional.
- Quebec will have a curfew starting Saturday. Premier Francois Legault announced that people will have to be in their homes between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. for a four week period, starting this weekend. Anyone found out on the street will be subject to a $1,000 to $6,000 fine. Quebec is the first province or territory in Canada to put in such a measure. Non-essential businesses will remain closed until Feb. 8.
- Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau says people coming back to Canada by airplane will have to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test. The new measure started this morning (Thursday) as a ban on people coming from the United Kingdom is being lifted.
- The CEO of Niagara’s hospital system has resigned from coronavirus government advisory roles after reports he had vacationed in the Dominican Republic. CEO Tom Stewart had been part of the pandemic command table as well as the science advisory table. Stewart resigned from those positions as well as a long-term care home advisory committee Tuesday night, according to CBC News.
- The Ontario Dental Association wants dentists and dental staff to be in the early round of vaccinations because they are a “key part” of the healthcare system. “By nature of the care they give, Ontario’s dentists are in direct risk of contracting COVID-19 and need to be on the priority list of health care professionals to be vaccinated early,” the ODA said.
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