Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Sunday, January 31, 2021:
- There have been 266,363 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 2,063 (or 0.8 per cent) from the previous day. There are 240,494 people recovered from the virus while 6,145 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 9,624,165 of which 31,463 have pending results.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total is 775,048. The country has 19,942 deaths from the virus – one in the Yukon, one in Nunavut, 1,189 in British Columbia, 1,631 in Alberta, 300 in Saskatchewan, 825 in Manitoba, 6,145 in Ontario, 9,763 in Quebec, 18 in New Brunswick, four in Newfoundland & Labrador and 65 in Nova Scotia.
- The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit stands at 805 confirmed cases, of which 20 are active and 731 are recovered. Fifty-four people have died to date. There is one person in hospital in the ICU. There are no active institutional outbreaks. The community case breakdown is: Lanark County East 140 cases (seven active), Lanark County West 146 cases (nine active), Leeds-Grenville Central 85 cases (two active), Leeds-Grenville East 119 cases (one active) and Leeds-Grenville West 114 cases (one active). (The health unit doesn’t update statistics on weekends)
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit stands at 2,472 confirmed cases, of which 410 are active and 2,010 are resolved. Fifty-two people have died to date. There are 24 people in hospital, including six in ICU. There are 18 active institutional outbreaks. Testing is at 102,003. The breakdown of cases is: Prescott-Russell 1,136 cases (121 active), SD&G 533 cases (111 active), Cornwall 653 cases (160 active) and Akwesasne (ON/QC) 150 cases (18 active). (The health unit doesn’t update statistics on weekends)
- Quebec plans to unveil modifications to its restrictions on Tuesday, which would go into effect Feb. 8 – a day after the curfew is set to end.
- British Columbia’s provincial health officer believes residents may be allowed to travel within the province for vacations if virus transmission is under control. Dr. Bonnie Henry says a number of factors will apply including how people abide by the health protocols now.
- Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, is warning provinces not to ease their restrictions too soon. Tam says even though numbers are trending downward it’s too soon to be lifting lockdowns. She believes with large daily case counts and high rates of infection across all age groups, the potential for a quick reversal is real.
- California has surpassed 40,000 coronavirus deaths, being second only to New York State as the U.S. state with the most deaths during the pandemic. New York is over 43,000.
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has mandated mask use on all forms of public transportation and transportation hubs across the country. The new order goes into effect Tuesday (Feb. 2).
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.