Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Wednesday, January 27, 2021:
- There have been 258,700 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 1,740 (or 0.7 per cent) from the previous day. There are 229,755 people recovered from the virus while 5,909 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 9,375,676 of which 36,405 have pending results.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total is 757,022. The country has 19,403 deaths from the virus – one in the Yukon, one in Nunavut, 1,168 in British Columbia, 1,587 in Alberta, 268 in Saskatchewan, 809 in Manitoba, 5,909 in Ontario, 9,577 in Quebec, 14 in New Brunswick, four in Newfoundland & Labrador and 65 in Nova Scotia.
- The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit added two newly confirmed cases Tuesday to bring the regional total to 791 confirmed cases. Of those, 11 are active (two fewer than Monday) and 726 are recovered (four more than Monday). The number of deaths to date is 54. There is no one in hospital. There are no active institutional outbreaks. The community case breakdown is: Lanark County East 135 cases (three active), Lanark County West 139 cases (five active), Leeds-Grenville Central 84 cases (one active), Leeds-Grenville East 118 cases (one active) and Leeds-Grenville West 114 cases (one active).
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit added 19 newly confirmed cases Tuesday to bring the regional total to 2,399. They were seven in Prescott-Russell, four in SD&G and eight in Cornwall. Of those, 472 are active (27 fewer than Monday) and 1,875 are resolved (46 more than Monday). The number of deaths is at 52. There are 22 people in hospital including six in ICU. There are 17 active institutional outbreaks. Testing increased by 474 to 100,996.
- Federal Procurement Minister Anita Anand has assured those in the House of Commons that deliveries of the Pfizer vaccine will ramp up from the Belgium plant. MPs were holding an emergency debate late last night.
- Premier Doug Ford and Quebec Premier Francois Legault are demanding Ottawa put in tougher travel restrictions like mandatory testing for all incoming international travellers as well as banning non-essential travel. The prime minister has indicated that new restrictions are coming.
- A made-in-Canada coronavirus vaccine is now going through the first human clinical trials in Toronto. Providence Therapeutics of Calgary says the vaccine could be in production by the end of the year if all goes well.
- Manitoba has reinstated a 14-day isolation for all people entering the province from other areas of Canada. The requirement was previously in place for everywhere east of Manitoba with the exclusion of some areas of northern Ontario.
- The number of deaths from coronavirus has now surpassed 100,000 in the United Kingdom. The U.S. has more than 400,000 dead – the world’s highest total.
- U.S. President Joe Biden has announced the order of more COVID-19 vaccines to protect 300 million Americans by the end of the summer. America is buying 100 million doses each of Pfizer and Moderna.
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.