Worldwide stats provided by worldometers put the global COVID-19 number of reported cases today at 13,487,984. (Deaths: 581,981 and Recovered: 7,878,258) I emphasize reported because there is a wide variance in testing and manner of reporting from country to country and place to place.
As of 6:28 a.m. ET on Wednesday July 15, 2020:
From Global News, Canada reported 108,463 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
As of 10:00 a.m. (when Ontario updates its daily stats) the official Province of Ontario website is reporting 37,052 (up 102) total confirmed cases and 2,732 total deaths. Currently, there are 115 people are in hospital with 31 of those in ICU. 32,920 cases have been resolved. Ontario is reporting another dip in COVID-19 cases, reporting the lowest number of new infections in 16 weeks. "Locally, 31 of Ontario's 34 public health units are reporting five or fewer cases, with fully 19 of them reporting no new cases," Health Minister Christine Elliott said.
Quebec continues to have the highest reported cases in the country with 56,730. (129 new) In B.C. as COVID-19 cases tick upwards, Dr. Bonnie Henry urges B.C. not to let their sacrifices go to waste. On Tuesday, Dr. Bonnie Henry announced 13 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing B.C.'s total to 3,128 to date. That follows a weekend when 62 new cases were confirmed.
The Region of Durham reported 1,759 (6 new) confirmed cases of COVID-19. The site also reports 1 current outbreaks at Hospitals, LTCF's and Retirement Homes with 34 outbreaks having been "concluded." Currently, Clarington sits at 102 total cases. (91 are resolved, 4 people are currently in isolation and 7 people have passed away. Hospitalized currently: "Zero")
In international news,
The CDC says that if everyone in America wore a mask, COVID-19 would be gone within 3-4 weeks. Americans are increasingly adopting the use of cloth face masks to slow the spread of COVID-19, and the latest science may convince even more to do so. In an editorial published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), CDC reviewed the latest science and affirms that cloth face coverings are a critical tool in the fight against COVID-19 that could reduce the spread of the disease, particularly when used universally within communities. There is increasing evidence that cloth face coverings help prevent people who have COVID-19 from spreading the virus to others. “We are not defenseless against COVID-19,” said CDC Director Dr. Robert R. Redfield. “Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus – particularly when used universally within a community setting. All Americans have a responsibility to protect themselves, their families, and their communities.”
Experts say the economic downturn and Stay-at-Home Orders amid the COVID-19 outbreak have fuelled an overdose crisis in the U.S.A. The CCP virus pandemic has worsened another existing epidemic—the opioid crisis—as the virus has worsened feelings of anxiety, social isolation, and depression while many recovery programs have been forced to close or scale back, health experts say. “Evidence shows how economic downturn, specifically unemployment, can lead to issues like drug overdose deaths, as well as becoming a risk factor for suicide,” Dr. Benjamin F. Miller, the chief strategy officer of the Well Being Trust, a national foundation focused on improving mental health, told The Epoch Times in an email. “Because of the challenges associated with social isolation and loneliness, this could be a multiplier—something that we have never seen as a country. The combination of social isolation and economic decline is likely to cause a substantial amount of distress for countless in our communities,” Miller said.
With Covid-19 cases soaring in the US South and Southwest, the nation's public health experts fear the end is not yet in sight and wonder what normal will look like as the pandemic stretches on through the rest of the year. While New York and New Jersey were the early virus hotspots, California, Florida, Arizona and Texas now have become the states to watch, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease doctor, said Tuesday. Fauci, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, called Covid-19 a "pandemic of historic proportions."
Tokyo raised its coronavirus alert to the highest “red” level on Wednesday, alarmed by a recent spike in daily new cases to record highs, with Governor Yuriko Koike describing the situation in the Japanese capital as “rather severe”. The resurgence of the virus in Tokyo could add to the growing pressure on policymakers to shore up the world’s No.3 economy, which analysts say is set to shrink at its fastest pace in decades this fiscal year due to the pandemic. “We are in a situation where we should issue warnings to citizens and businesses,” Koike told a press conference, urging residents to refrain from unnecessary travel. The infection rate in Tokyo is at stage “red”, the highest of four levels in the metropolis’ system, Koike said, citing the analysis by health experts who cautioned earlier in the day that infections were going up quite a bit and “exceeding peaks”.
In national news,
Police were notified of 21,422 cases where travellers to Canada may have broken the quarantine rules.
Police have been notified for follow-up in more than 21,000 cases where travellers arriving in Canada either couldn't be reached or showed "indication of non-compliance" with the mandatory 14-day quarantine rules. Of the 21,422 referrals from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to the RCMP, nearly 1,500 were identified as "priority cases" for physical check-ups. The RCMP and PHAC both confirmed the figures to CTV News; though few punishments have been doled out to any suspected rule-breakers.
At least 26 flights have arrived in Canada with COVID-19 cases in the last two weeks. Within the last two weeks, the 14-day window believed by scientists to be the incubation period of COVID-19, at least 26 flights have arrived in Canadian airports with confirmed cases of the virus onboard. According to the federal government, COVID-19 cases have been reported among passengers on 10 domestic flights and 16 international flights since June 29. It advises the list is not exhaustive and is based on information from “provincial and territorial health authorities, international health authorities and public websites.” The affected international flights arrived in Canadian airports from Mexico City, Cancun, Zurich, Paris, Addis Ababa, Islamabad, Lahore, Qatar, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Dallas, Detroit, and three flights from Charlotte, N.C.
The Justice minister says he's ready to legislate if pandemic delays lead to criminal charges being tossed. Federal Justice Minister David Lametti said he's monitoring the situation closely and is prepared to introduce legislation to keep charges from being tossed out due to court delays caused by pandemic-related disruptions. The Supreme Court of Canada's 2016 Jordan decision set hard limits on the amount of time that can pass between the laying of charges and the anticipated end of a trial, 18 months in provincial court and 30 months in superior court. That ruling took into account the possibility of delays caused by illnesses and exceptional events, but there is no federal law outlining how those exceptions should be applied. Lametti said that if excessive delays caused by pandemic restrictions on courthouse operations lead to confusion over how Jordan should be interpreted, he's prepared to introduce legislation to clarify how the benchmark should be applied in specific circumstances.
In Ontario,
Premier Ford calls the U.S. COVID-19 response 'reckless' as Ontario prepares for possible second wave. Premier Doug Ford said that Ontario is so much “better prepared” for a potential second wave of COVID-19 as he once again compared his government’s novel coronavirus response to the “reckless” approach south of the border. “It's been reckless down there, that's the only way I can describe it, they’ve been reckless, they've moved forward too quickly,” Ford said, speaking at a news conference on Tuesday afternoon. “I'll always listen to health and science over getting pressure from anyone.” The comments come as Ford was discussing a possible second wave of COVID-19 in Ontario, which he says his health team is looking in to, with plans to release a strategy on the issue “shortly.”
The majority of new COVID-19 cases in Ontario involve people under 60. Ontario health officials are reporting that the vast majority of the province’s new cases of COVID-19 involve people under the age of 60. Officials confirmed an additional 111 new infections on Tuesday, and reported that 96 of those cases were people younger than 60 years older. The province also reported that the new number of cases did not include anyone over the age of 80. Fifteen of the new cases were people between the ages of 60 and 79.
The Province is investing in a company to manufacture made in Ontario N95 masks. They’re investing to scale up operations at a Cambridge-based manufacturer. Eclipse Innovations Inc. will be receiving $1,408,475 from the province, which will help them begin making the critically-needed piece of personal protective equipment (PPE). “Ontario will never, never again be left at the mercy of other countries and other leaders when it comes to vital PPE and medical equipment,” said Ford.
In local news,
Scugog has moved to restrict access to the Port Perry Pier and prohibited fishing at municipal boat launches after receiving complaints about serious overcrowding along the waterfront last weekend. Photos of dozens of people at one time congregating on the Port Perry Pier, allegedly from the past weekend, began popping up on social media, showcasing people fishing and gathering in large groups in contravention of rules put in place during the pandemic. In response, the township announced on Tuesday, July 14 that it was restricting access to the pier, located at the eastern end of Queen Street near the Old Mill, and forbidding fishing at its public boat launches. “On Monday, July 13, the township was made aware of a serious overcrowding issue at the Port Perry Pier,” said Scugog in an online posting.
An Oshawa group is advocating for a permanent end to bus fares. The COVID-19 "experiment" shows zero-fare transit is possible, says the group. “I think COVID-19 has exposed a lot of inequalities that have been festering under the surface of our communities for a longtime and it demonstrates this is possible,” said Jesse Cullen, executive committee member of We Are Oshawa. “In a time of economic disruption where you have mass unemployment across the country … the people who were still taking transit were, number one, essential workers and, number two, the poor and working class.” The group had been advocating for zero fare transit even before the pandemic hit.
Sports, Sports, Sports,
The NHL unveils its exhibition schedule, start times for Stanley Cup Qualifiers. The exhibition games will be played from July 28-30, with the Stanley Cup Qualifiers beginning on Aug. 1. There are several notable regional matchups on the schedule, including another installment of the Battle of Alberta and a game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens.
Blue Jays’ plans to play at home complicated by U.S. COVID-19 situation. Canada’s deputy public health officer says the federal government would be having “a different conversation” with the Toronto Blue Jays about playing regular-season games at Rogers Centre if the United States and Canada were at similar stages in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Howard Njoo said Tuesday that discussions are ongoing between the Canadian government and the Major League Baseball team, but he said the issue of having both the Blue Jays and American-based teams continually crossing the U.S.-Canada border complicates the idea of hosting regular-season games.
Musing,
How can you tell if someone is smiling (or otherwise) under the mask? Click here to read up on body language.
So, were you lucky enough to be invited into anyone's bubble? Or, have we forgotten about "bubble directives" already? Hmmmm....
Tried buying a stand up paddle board these days? Ya, good luck with that. The demand for kayaks, paddle boards and canoes is off the charts.
While I wish Ghislaine Maxwell no harm; I can't help but wonder how long it will be before she has an "accident" in jail?
Had a great discussion about pleasure travel last night with friends, we pondered when travel can/will possibly resume? I have to wonder though, will travel insurance even be affordable? And if you can get it, will the policy have a "no COVID-19 coverage" rider? Because if you can't get proper insurance, your cheese would have to have slid off your cracker to even consider leaving the Great White North.
On this day in history in 1099, the City of Jerusalem was captured and plundered by Christian forces during the First Crusade. In 1799, the Rosetta Stone was found in the Egyptian village of Rosetta by French Captain Pierre-François Bouchard during Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign.
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." (THOMAS PAINE)
Bank of Canada unclaimed balances portal
supportontariomade.ca
Here is how to clean your non-medical mask.
Clarington Tourism Businesses and Attractions Directory can be found here.
CERB abuse reporting https://apps.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/bscs/l3adz/internet/initial.do?target=login&lang=en&program=qa">can be done here.
To book a COVID-19 test in Durham Region, click here.
Lakeridge Health Mental Health Clinic 905-440-7534 or toll free at 1-833-392-7363 (Monday-Friday 9am-4pm)
Live coronavirus map of Canada: Tracking every case of COVID-19 in the country.
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