Newswatch COVID-19 Digest: Sunday August 1, 2021

Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Sunday, August 1, 2021:

  • There have been 550,436 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 258 cases from the previous day. There have been 539,485 people recovered from the virus while 9,345 have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 16,570,558 of which 5,546 have pending results.
  • (Health Canada did not update statistics at 7 p.m. Saturday. The following was collated by Newswatch using official provincial/territorial websites) Canada’s coronavirus case total is 1,430,825. The country has 26,598 deaths from the virus – seven in the Yukon, four in Nunavut, 1,771 in British Columbia, 2,328 in Alberta, 578 in Saskatchewan, 1,178 in Manitoba, 9,345 in Ontario, 11,241 in Quebec, 46 in New Brunswick, seven in Newfoundland & Labrador and 93 in Nova Scotia.
  • The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit stands at 1,768 confirmed cases, of which two are active and 1,706 are recovered. There are 60 deaths to date. There is one person in hospital. There are no active institutional outbreaks. The community case breakdown is: Lanark County East 386 cases (zero active), Lanark County West 400 cases (zero active), Leeds-Grenville Central 208 cases (zero active), Leeds-Grenville East 349 cases (zero active) and Leeds-Grenville West 203 cases (two active). (The health unit has not updated statistics this past week as statistician is on holidays. Stats are not updated on weekends. Next report comes Tuesday, Aug. 3.)
  • The Eastern Ontario Health Unit stands at 4,747 cases, of which 13 active and 4,623 are resolved. The have been 111 deaths to date. There is no one in hospital. There are no active institutional outbreaks. Testing is at 146,841. The breakdown of cases is: Prescott-Russell 1,987 cases (six active), SD&G 1,124 cases (zero active), Cornwall 1,277 cases (seven active) and Akwesasne (ON/QC) 359 cases (zero active). (The health unit doesn’t update statistics on weekends)
  • Vaccines: Ontario 19,459,198 (+81,590, last update July 31); EOHU 266,908 (last update July 30, +2,288 from previous update July 29); LGL 134,049 individuals living in LGL with first doses, 103,020 with second doses (last update July 20, +1,463 first doses, +16,602 second doses since previous update July 13).
  • Across the border in St. Lawrence County (which includes Massena, Potsdam and Canton), there were 17 new cases reported Thursday to bring the total to 7,643 confirmed cases. The county has tallied 42 new infections in the past week. Most of the 46 active cases are in Potsdam (13), Pierrepont, south of Potsdam (6) and Massena (5). There is no one in hospital and 97 people have died since the pandemic began. Nearly 347,000 tests have been performed.
  • The head of the Alberta Medical Association is concerned with the province’s decision to lift almost all of its coronavirus health restrictions. Dr. Paul Boucher says the pace of ending health measures is troubling. While restrictions like masking and gathering sizes have ended, the number of cases has been steadily rising in recent weeks.
  • All public health restrictions in New Brunswick have been lifted as of yesterday (Saturday). The province had seven new cases on Friday and has 19 active cases.
  • The number of new COVID-19 cases in England appears to be levelling off. One in 65 people had the virus during the week of July 24. It was one in 75 the week before.
  • Some protesters in Paris clashed with police as they demonstrated over a special virus pass needed to go into restaurants and other places starting Aug. 9.
  • Tokyo set a new single-day record on Saturday with 4,058 coronavirus cases. There were 21 people at the Olympics who tested positive on Saturday but no athletes. There’s been 241 positive tests at the Summer Games – 23 of them athletes.

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.