Worldwide stats provided by worldometers put the global COVID-19 number of reported cases today at 21,100,485. (Deaths: 758,001 and Recovered: 13,948,929) 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 6:00 a.m. ET on Friday August 14, 2020:
From Global News, Canada reported 121,174 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
The official Province of Ontario website is reporting 40,367 total confirmed cases and 2,787 total deaths. Currently, there are 43 people are in hospital with 20 of those in ICU. 36,689 cases have been resolved.
Quebec continues to have the highest reported cases in the country with 60,917.
The Region of Durham reported 1,841 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The site also reports 1 current outbreak (Hospitals, LTCF's and Retirement Homes) at Harwood Retirement Residence with 36 outbreaks having been "concluded." Clarington went up to 104 (2 new) total cases. (2 are in isolation, 95 are resolved and 7 people have passed away. Hospitalized currently: "Zero")
In international news,
From Reuters, Britons rush home from France to beat new quarantine rules. Britons rushed to get back from summer holidays in France on Friday after their government said it would soon impose a 14-day quarantine on travellers from across the Channel due to rising coronavirus infections. Britain’s government announced late on Thursday that it would impose a quarantine from 0300 GMT on Saturday on arrivals from France, giving an estimated 160,000 UK holidaymakers there just over 24 hours to try to get home to avoid isolating. The sudden rule change dealt a fresh blow to tourists, airlines and tour operators all hoping for holidays after the pandemic, which has left many travel groups cash-strapped and facing an uncertain future. Many British tourists headed towards the French port of Calais hoping to catch a ferry or a shuttle train home in time.
From Vice News, World Leaders Are Hyping Bogus COVID-19 Cures. It's not just Trump—lawmakers and heads of state all over the world are touting unproven, dodgy, and potentially fatal "cures" for COVID-19. The Bolivian Health Ministry has been perfectly clear: It doesn't consider chlorine dioxide a legitimate treatment for COVID-19. That’s not surprising. Chlorine dioxide, better known in much of the world as Miracle Mineral Supplement or MMS, is a bleach solution that’s been touted for years as a bogus miracle cure for everything from cancer to HIV. Health authorities across the world have warned of its potentially lethal side effects. But in late July, the Bolivian Senate passed a bill legalizing the substance as a COVID-19 treatment, meaning that companies can produce it and doctors can prescribe it. Across the globe, the story is the same: Federal and municipal governments, along with individual lawmakers, are promoting a variety of bogus cures and treatments for COVID-19. The New York Times reported in July that the problem is severe in much of Latin America, where chlorine dioxide and ivermectin, which treats some intestinal parasites and head lice, have been promoted as COVID treatments. (The World Health Organization said that in June that three studies which claimed to show that ivermectin was effective as a coronavirus treatment were all highly flawed. “None of these studies was peer-reviewed nor formally published and one study was later retracted,” the agency said, adding that their review of the studied showed they were “found to have a high risk of bias, very low certainty of the evidence, and that the existing evidence is insufficient to draw a conclusion on benefits and harms.” The agency recommended awaiting the outcome of several randomized, clinical trials currently underway before using the drug as a COVID treatment.)
In national news,
McDonald’s returns to 100 per cent Canadian beef in September. McDonald’s Canada is returning to 100 per cent Canadian beef in September. The fast food chain started importing beef from suppliers outside the country back in April because of issues with its suppliers during the pandemic. McDonald’s says during this time, they had to get about 20 per cent of their beef from sources outside of Canada. The company started using only Canadian beef in 2003, with primary sources being ranches and farms in Alberta and Saskatchewan. And puhleez...don't give me the "Oh, I don't eat Mcdonalds." In the words of Jim Gaffigan, "It's all Mcdonalds."
Things are not looking good in B.C. and while they are registering only 100 +/- cases per day, they are tracking signs of a spike and a second wave as soon as September. It's being attributed mostly to the 19-40 year old demographic.
From the "Lock your doors" file, Canada's correctional institutions released thousands of inmates in the early days of COVID-19. Overall, there was a 16 per cent drop in the inmate population in Canadian correctional institutions during the early days of the pandemic. Canadian correctional institutions saw an “unprecedented” drop in their inmate populations as governments across Canada took steps to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. There were 6,000 fewer inmates in Canadian institutions between February and April, says the latestreport from Statistics Canada, with most of the decline from provincial and territorial jails. The provincial inmate population decreased by 25 per cent, while the federal inmate population declined by just one per cent during the same time period. Hmmm......what could possibly go wrong?
Not really COVID-19; but, this B.S. has go to stop. MPP Lisa MacLeod under police protection in Ottawa after 'threatening' emails and 'unexplained mischievous incident' MacLeod appeared on CFRA to speak out against the harassment recently faced by MP Catherine McKenna. Look, goodness knows I am no fan of justin and the Libs, but for God's sake I wish no harm on any politician, or their families. That's just crazy. It's ok to disagree, debate is healthy. BUT, you don't get to harass and threaten the other side, no matter what side you may be on.
In Ontario,
From the "Work from home, now even in the north" file, EORN putting forward $1.6 billion proposal to deliver faster internet to Eastern Ontario. The project would be funded through funding from the two levels of government, loans from the Canada Infrastructure Bank and from the private sector. Without that additional investment, EORN says it will not be possible for some parts of Eastern Ontario to reach the service levels they hope to provide with the project. They estimate it will cost between $500 million and $700 million to deliver internet speeds of up to 50/10 Mbps to 95 percent of Eastern Ontario. It would cost $1.2 billion to $1.6 billion to deliver 1 Gbps. The Eastern Ontario Regional Network is a non-profit organization that was created by the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus to work on improving broadband access in its 13 member municipalities and fuel economic development and growth. Hastings County is one of the 13 municipal members. The team at EORN is currently working on a $213 million project that will improve and expand cellular service in the region. It’s expected that the project will start in early 2021.
Province announces more funding for back-to-school plan as debate over returning heats up. The province says school boards can access $500-million in their own reserves to achieve measures such as physical distancing as students and teachers head back to class. That includes hiring more teachers and custodians and finding new spaces for learning. Education Minister Stephen Lecce maintains the notion that the province isn’t doing everything to ensure a safe return to the classroom isn’t fair. “The fact that we are listening, standing before you on a weekly basis, to announce new investments and new supports, to unlock resources to follow the signs and listen to the chief medical officer of this province, should only underscore our commitment to the protection of our most vulnerable, which is our children,” shared Lecce. $50-million to upgrade HVAC systems to improve air quality was also announced, as well as $20-million to support online learning. Meanwhile, (of course) the province’s four major teacher’s unions allege Ontario’s back-to-school plan violates its own occupational health and safety legislation.
In local news,
There were four new cases of COVID-19 reported in Durham, one each in Ajax and Whitby and two in Clarington. The Durham Region Health Department says there are now 20 active cases, with all being dealt with in home isolation.
Kawartha Pine Ridge DSB release back-to-school plan; students opting out of in-class learning asked to register online.
Durham municipalities to get $37.5 million in emergency COVID-19 funding. Durham’s municipalities will receive $37.5 million in emergency funds from the provincial and federal governments to address operation costs racked up due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Region of Durham is getting the largest chunk, $14.6 million for municipal operations and another $8.4 million for Durham Region Transit for a total $23 million. Funding for individuals municipalities includes: $4 million for Oshawa; $2.1 million for Clarington; $2.3 million for Ajax; $2 million for Pickering; $2.8 million for Whitby; $529,000 for Scugog; $490,000 for Uxbridge; and $323,000 for Brock. The first phase of funding through the province’s Safe Restart Agreement with the federal government -- totalling $695 million -- will be paid to municipalities in September, with the funding allocated on a 50-50 basis between upper and lower-tier municipalities based on a per household basis. An additional $660 million is allocated to 110 transit systems, including Durham Region Transit, and $212 million will go to the Social Services Relief Fund to help vulnerable people find shelter.
Musing,
Be good to your servers, folks. The job is pretty tough right now and most are making a fraction of what they were making pre-COVID. Remember, these are the people that made you laugh, smile and brought you your food/drink before all this nonsense. 25% on the bill, I say. If you think that's too much, then stay home and find something else to complain about.
Never have these words of Evelyn Beatrice Hall been more important..."I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." (No, it was not Voltaire that said it, it was Mrs. Hall. Look it up.)
"Destructive and irresponsible freedom has been granted boundless space. Society appears to have little defense against the abyss of human decadence." (ALEKSANDR SOLZHENITSYN)
"Your desire for peace, must be equal to your desire to fight for it." (me)
If you ever choose to take my advice on only one thing, it would be this. Never, ever drink Unicum.
On this day in history, in 1945, Japan’s WW2 surrender was made public.
In what later became known as Victory Day, an official announcement of Japan’s unconditional surrender to the Allies is made public to the world on August 14, 1945. Who recognizes this iconic photo??
In 1994, the terrorist known as Carlos the Jackal is captured.
Terrorist Illich Ramirez Sanchez, long known as Carlos the Jackal, is captured in Khartoum, Sudan, by French intelligence agents. Since there was no extradition treaty with Sudan, the French agents sedated and kidnapped Carlos. The Sudanese government, claiming that it had assisted in the arrest, requested that the United States remove their country from its list of nations that sponsor terrorism. Sanchez, who was affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Organization for Armed Arab Struggle, and the Japanese Red Army, was widely believed to be responsible for numerous terrorist attacks between 1973 and 1992. In 1974, he took the French ambassador and 10 others hostage at the Hague, demanding that French authorities release Yutaka Furuya of the Japanese Red Army.
Today is – NATIONAL V-J DAY – NATIONAL CREAMSICLE DAY
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment