Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Wednesday, February 17, 2021:
- There have been 287,736 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 904 (or 0.3 per cent) from the previous day. There are 269,413 people recovered from the virus while 6,719 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 10,433,272 of which 15,024 have pending results.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total is 831,577. The country has 21,397 deaths from the virus – one in the Yukon, one in Nunavut, 1,314 in British Columbia, 1,791 in Alberta, 357 in Saskatchewan, 875 in Manitoba, 6,719 in Ontario, 10,246 in Quebec, 24 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 over the long weekend to bring the regional total to 846 total confirmed cases, of which 15 are active (two fewer than Friday, individual cases total 14) and 777 are recovered (eight more than Friday). Fifty-four people have died to date. There are two people in hospital, one in the ICU on a ventilator. There is one active institutional outbreak (Lombard Manor). The community case breakdown is: Lanark County East 147 cases (zero active), Lanark County West 158 cases (eight active), Leeds-Grenville Central 95 cases (two active), Leeds-Grenville East 122 cases (two active) and Leeds-Grenville West 122 cases (two active).
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit area added 20 cases over the long weekend – six in Prescott-Russell, 10 in SD&G and four in Cornwall – to bring the regional total to 2,655 cases. The number of active cases dropped by 27 to 117 while resolved cases were up 46 to 2,474. Sixty-four people have died, one more than Friday. The latest casualty was someone hospitalized from Lancaster Long Term Care. There are 16 people in hospital (down three from Friday). There are 11 active institutional outbreaks (down two from Friday). Testing increased by 751 to 106,594.
- The Ontario government is opening the eligibility requirements for small businesses to access the Main Street Relief Grant for purchases of personal protective equipment. Small businesses with 2-19 employees can apply – expanded from 2-9 – including the arts, entertainment and recreation sectors. The maximum one-time support is $1,000 on PPE expenses retroactive to March 2020.
- The deliveries of food, medicine and essential items for seniors and people will disabilities will continue during the COVID-19 pandemic. The province is extending the Ontario Community Support Program until March 2022. It says nearly 800,000 deliveries have been made under the service-to-senior match program since April 2020.
- Federal Procurement Minister Anita Anand says Canada will receive 1.3 million Moderna vaccine doses in March. That will bring the total shipments to two million doses, as planned.
- The head of Alberta’s labour movement says the provincial government needs to remember that public safety comes first before company profit. The Alberta Federation of Labour was responding to the temporary closure of an Olymel plant that’s been linked to hundreds of cases and one employee death.
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