Coronavirus: What’s happening in Canada and around the world on Tuesday

Ontario reports more than 1,550 new COVID-19 cases over last 2 days

Ontario reported 746 additional cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, as well as 807 more cases for yesterday. New daily case counts for both days were reported simultaneously this morning, as the province does not provide updates on stat holidays.

The average daily number of new cases of the illness continued its steep climb and is now at 761.4. The figure has increased on each of the last eight days, and has been trending steadily upward since a low in mid-August.

New cases from both days are once again concentrated in a handful of public health units, including:

• Toronto: 303 on Monday; 311 on Tuesday
• Peel Region: 159 on Monday; 135 on Tuesday
• Ottawa: 119 on Monday; 116 on Tuesday
• York Region: 56 on Monday; 42 on Tuesday

Other regions that saw double-digit increases on both days include:

• Hamilton: 34 on Monday; 15 on Tuesday
• Halton Region: 20 on Monday; 29 on Tuesday
• Middlesex-London: 29 on Monday; 13 on Tuesday

The province’s network of labs processed more than 67,700 tests over the same two days, while the backlog is down to 24,240 — likely the result of fewer tests being collected on weekends. That means Ontario is dealing with a positivity rate of roughly 2.3 per cent in the same period. Positivity rate is among the key indicators experts say the public should keep an eye on amid the pandemic. You can read more about that here.

The number of people in Ontario hospitals with confirmed cases of COVID-19 has similarly continued its upward trend and is now at 230, up from a low of about 32 in mid-August. At least 60 of those people are being treated in intensive care, while 34 are on ventilators. Ontario also added 12 additional COVID-19-linked deaths in the two-day period, and the cumulative toll now sits at 3,017.

The province has seen a total of 60,692 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the outbreak began in late January. Of those, slightly more than 85 per cent are considered resolved. There are currently 5,946 confirmed, active cases of the illness in Ontario, a new record high.

Ontario, B.C. and Alberta to report new cases today after holiday break

Three of the four largest provinces will report their latest COVID-19 case numbers today after a holiday break. Ontario, B.C. and Alberta did not update their numbers on the holiday Monday, with the latter two provinces last reporting on Friday.

The results will come too soon after the weekend to determine if Thanksgiving contributed to a feared spike in cases, as it can take up to 14 days before people show symptoms, but provinces checking in coast to coast should give Canadians a clearer idea where the country stands.

As of 7 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Canada had 182,839 confirmed or presumptive coronavirus cases. Provinces and territories listed 154,258 of those as recovered or resolved. A CBC News tally of deaths based on provincial reports, regional health information and CBC’s reporting stood at 9,627.

Meanwhile, a new report says COVID-19 has widened the gap between the haves and have-nots in Canada, amplifying the economic disparities that existed pre-pandemic. The affordability index by BDO Canada Ltd. found that while one in five Canadians say they are better off, nearly two in five say their personal finances deteriorated during the first wave.

The index, based on polling data by the Angus Reid Group, found that those who are worse off are nearly four times more likely to say their debt load is overwhelming. The report underscores a yawning chasm between Canadians who are losing ground and those whose financial situation has improved during the pandemic or hasn’t changed.

What’s happening across Canada

In the so-called Atlantic bubble, New Brunswick was the only COVID-19 hot spot this weekend. The province is dealing with two outbreaks, one in the Moncton area and the other in Campbellton. There were six new cases reported Monday and 76 active coronavirus cases in the province. Five people are in the hospital, one of whom is in intensive care.

 

 

Prince Edward Island‘s chief public health officer announced two new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and three active cases overall.

Nova Scotia had no new cases Monday and four active cases, including one in the ICU.

In Quebec, the province reported 843 new cases on Monday and four new deaths. There are 457 people in hospital, including 75 in ICUs.

Ontario reported 649 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, with one more death and four new hospitalizations. There are 217 people in hospital with the virus. Fifty-one are in ICUs, and 32 of those are on ventilators.

Manitoba reported 77 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday. The province also reported two new deaths — a man in his 40s and a woman who was older than 100.

Saskatchewan reported its largest single-day increase in new cases since late July on Monday, with 48 new infections.

Alberta reported 277 new cases on Friday and one new death.British Columbia reported 119 new cases Friday.

What’s happening around the world

According to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, the global total of confirmed coronavirus cases stands at more than 37.8 million. More than one million people have died, while more than 26.2 million have recovered.

The case of a man in the United States infected twice with COVID-19 shows there is much yet to learn about immune responses and also raises questions over vaccination, scientists said on Tuesday. The 25-year old from Reno, Nevada tested positive in April after showing mild symptoms, then got sick again in late May with a more serious bout, according to a case report in the Lancet Infectious Diseases medical journal.

Scientists said that while known incidences of reinfection appear rare — and the Nevada man has now recovered — cases like his were worrying.  “It is becoming increasingly clear that reinfections are possible, but we can’t yet know how common this will be,” said Simon Clarke, a microbiology expert at Britain’s Reading University. Brendan Wren, a professor of vaccinology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said the Nevada case was the fifth confirmed example of reinfection worldwide.

 

“The demonstration that it is possible to be reinfected by SARS-CoV-2 may suggest that a COVID-19 vaccine may not be totally protective,” he said. “However, given the [more than] 40 million cases worldwide, these small examples of reinfection are tiny and should not deter efforts to develop vaccines.”

Italy‘s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has ordered strict new anti-coronavirus measures, including limits on private gatherings and a ban on casual pickup sports.Conte negotiated with the country’s regions to win limits on private gatherings, over the objections of some governors. Parties in closed spaces are banned, but the measures, imposed Tuesday, are limited to “strong recommendations” against private gatherings in homes with more than six people who don’t live under the same roof.Bars and restaurants must close by midnight, and drinks can only be consumed at tables — not while standing at the bar or outside — after 9 p.m. Also banned are any contact sports that are not organized by an association that can maintain distancing rules. That means no casual games of Italy’s beloved soccer in local parks.After mandating the wearing of masks outdoors last week, the government sought the additional measures with the number of new cases rising to around 5,000 a day in the past week.Israel has now recorded more than 2,000 deaths from the coronavirus as the country remains under lockdown for a fourth week to quell the outbreak.The country — which has confirmed more than 295,000 cases — had garnered praise earlier this year for its swift imposition of travel restrictions to limit the pandemic’s spread, but after lifting the first nationwide lockdown in May, new cases quickly increased. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government imposed a second blanket lockdown on Sept. 18 as the infection rate per capita grew to one of the highest in the world. Israel’s infection rate is gradually decreasing, and the cabinet is deliberating how and when the government will start to lift restrictions.

India has registered 55,342 new coronavirus cases, its lowest single-day tally since mid-August.

The Health Ministry raised India’s confirmed total to more than 7.17 million cases on Tuesday but said the country was showing a trend of declining daily cases over the last five weeks. The ministry also reported 706 deaths in the past 24 hours, raising the toll to 109,856.

According to data shared by the Health Ministry, the average number of daily cases from Sept. 9-15 was 92,830. The average has steadily declined since then, falling to under 73,000 per day over the last week. Meanwhile, India’s testing rate has remained constant, with almost 1.1. million tests being carried out every day. India, a country of nearly 1.4 billion people, is second in the world in total cases, behind only the U.S., which has confirmed over 7.8 million infections.

CBC/MS