Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Friday, January 29, 2021:
- There have been 262,463 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 2,093 (or 0.8 per cent) from the previous day. There are 234,971 people recovered from the virus while 6,014 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 9,495,531 of which 48,386 have pending results.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total is 766,103. The country has 19,664 deaths from the virus – one in the Yukon, one in Nunavut, 1,184 in British Columbia, 1,606 in Alberta, 285 in Saskatchewan, 821 in Manitoba, 6,014 in Ontario, 9,667 in Quebec, 16 in New Brunswick, four in Newfoundland & Labrador and 65 in Nova Scotia.
- The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit added six newly confirmed cases Thursday to bring the regional total to 800 confirmed cases. Of those, 16 are active (five more than Wednesday) and 730 are recovered (one more than Wednesday). The number of deaths to date is 54. There is one person in hospital in the ICU, up one from Wednesday. There are no active institutional outbreaks. The community case breakdown is: Lanark County East 140 cases (seven active), Lanark County West 142 cases (six active), Leeds-Grenville Central 85 cases (two active), Leeds-Grenville East 118 cases (zero active) and Leeds-Grenville West 114 cases (one active).
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit added eight newly confirmed cases Thursday to bring the regional total to 2,441 (difference was actually nine cases from Wednesday’s 2,432 with no explanation for the discrepancy). They were four in Prescott-Russell, two in SD&G and two in Cornwall. Of those, 416 are active (42 fewer than Wednesday) and 1,973 are resolved (51 more than Wednesday). The number of deaths is at 52. There are 24 people in hospital, three more than Wednesday, including five in ICU (no change). There are 18 active institutional outbreaks, one more than Wednesday. Testing increased by 338 to 101,646.
- New Ontario projections show the spread of the U.K. variant poses a significant threat to controlling the pandemic and the province is far from flattening the curve, despite the trend of declining cases. The data shows cases began decreasing after the late December lockdown and the stay-at-home order further continued to shrink the number of new cases.
- The lower electricity rates for Hydro One customers will continue for a little while longer. The provincial government is extending the 8.5 cents per kilowatt hour around -the-clock rate until Feb. 9. It applies to both time-of-use and tiered customers.
- Public health restrictions in Quebec could be eased in the future but not until at least Feb. 8. Premier Francois Legault says the measures currently in place will continue until then. There’s been a province-wide curfew since Jan. 8.
- More than 90 per cent of COVID-19 cases in South Africa are a local more contagious variant called B.1.351., which is overwhelming health officials and hospitals. That’s despite a strict lockdown in the region. The South African strain has already shown up in the U.S. with two cases in South Carolina.
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.