Worldwide stats provided by worldometers put the global COVID-19 number of reported cases today at 21,952,953. (Deaths: 775,351 and Recovered: 14,667,916) 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 4:00 p.m. ET on Monday August 17, 2020:
From Global News, Canada reported 122,040 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
The official Province of Ontario website is reporting 40,745 total confirmed cases and 2,789 total deaths. Currently, there are 32 people are in hospital with 16 of those in ICU. 37,036 cases have been resolved.
Quebec continues to have the highest reported cases in the country with 61,151. (I'm not so sure Quebec isn't doing some number massaging...)
The Region of Durham reported 1,848 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 remains at 104 total cases. (2 are in isolation, 95 are resolved and 7 people have passed away. Hospitalized currently: "Zero")
In international news,
From the "Does it ever stop coming?" file, Mutated strain of COVID-19 found in Southeast Asia — but it's already taken over Europe and U.S. The Philippines, which faces the region's largest outbreak, is studying to see whether the mutation makes it more infectious. Southeast Asia is facing a strain of the new coronavirus that the Philippines, which faces the region’s largest outbreak, is studying to see whether the mutation makes it more infectious. The strain, earlier seen in other parts of the world and called D614G, was found in a Malaysian cluster of 45 cases that started from someone who returned from India and breached his 14-day home quarantine. The Philippines detected the strain among random COVID-19 samples in the largest city of its capital region.
From Chile, the Chilean authorities shut down a mall in downtown Santiago on Monday morning after hundreds of people crowded into the precinct to buy merchandise to sell, just hours after a lockdown for the area was eased. At least 300 people queued outside the Asia Pacific mall, which specializes in selling Chinese-made products, ahead of opening hours and rushed inside as private security guards attempted to dispense alcohol gel and take temperatures, in some cases resulting in physical clashes with shoppers. The mall is situated in the capital’s Central Station, a low-income area popular with informal workers and migrants, where a strict lockdown over the past three months was eased on Monday morning. Like many Latin nations, Chile has a large population of informal vendors who struggled after movement restrictions reduced their customer base.
Still want the COVID-19 tracing app on your phone? From VICE news, U.S. Secret Service Bought Phone Location Data from Apps, Contract Confirms. An internal Secret Service document describes the purchase of Locate X, a product that uses location data harvested from ordinary apps. The Secret Service paid for a product that gives the agency access to location data generated by ordinary apps installed on peoples' smartphones, an internal Secret Service document confirms. The sale highlights the issue of law enforcement agencies buying information, and in particular location data, that they would ordinarily need a warrant or court order to obtain. This contract relates to the sale of Locate X, a product from a company called Babel Street.
Did you know...COVID-19 is now the No. 3 cause of death in the U.S.A.?
In national news,
The Public Health Agency issued a COVID-19 report last Friday with updates and projections. Page 13 and 14 do not paint a rosy picture for the fall, folks. The report can be found here. You won't like it, I guarantee you. Canada’s top public health officials are preparing for a "peak" of COVID-19 cases in the fall and localized outbreaks until at least January 2022, new modelling data shows. The report underlines that officials are aiming for a "slow burn" scenario, "keeping case rates low and within the health and public health system’s capacity to manage," but are preparing for a worst-case scenario which shows a surge of cases when flu season approaches and then ongoing "peaks and valleys" for the next several years. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said this projection is subject to change depending on Canadians’ behaviour.
In Ontario,
Could COVID-19 cancel Halloween? Halloween falls on a Saturday under a full moon and on the last day of daylight savings time this year, a seemingly perfect convergence for a memorable fright night. But COVID-19 is a scary spectre hanging over Halloween 2020. Though close to three months away, Halloween costumes and boxes of candy are making their way onto retail shelves and members of parenting groups are weighing in on whether little comic book heroes, fuzzy animals, or pint-sized witches and goblins will be out to collect candy this year. I wonder, (if you have them) would you let your kids go out?
Ontario health officials reported 99 new COVID-19 cases and no new deaths on Monday, the highest since Saturday when the count of new cases hit triple digits. "Locally, 29 of 34 public health units are reporting five or fewer cases, with 21 of them reporting no new cases," Health Minister Christine Elliott wrote in a tweet. The province reported 81 new cases on Sunday, 106 on Saturday and 92 on Friday. Elliott said that provincial labs processed more than 25,500 test specimens in the past 24 hours. A further 15,000 tests remained under investigation. Monday's data generated a positivity rate of 0.39 per cent. Officials said 83 people recovered from infection in the last 24 hours, meaning the number of remaining active cases in the province increased by 16 to 920.
This is not going to end well....The Ford Government has rejected Toronto District School Board (TDSB) proposals for reopening both elementary and secondary schools, claiming plans for both don't give students enough time in class and are too generous to teachers. The rejection means parents still do not know the exact size of their children's classes or how or when the school day will start or end – with three weeks left before the scheduled start of the school year. TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird said the Ontario government took issue with the board's plan to reduce the average size of classrooms to 15 students for kindergarten to grade three, and 20 students for grades four to eight, which would have seen the board hire 200 additional teachers at a cost of $20 million. Ending the elementary school day 48 minutes earlier was cited as the most affordable way to decrease class sizes and increase physical distancing, as teachers' prep time, required per the terms of the existing collective agreement, was moved earlier into the school day. The Ford government also refused to approve the TDSB's plans for a "quadmester" high school year, saying it did not give students a minimum of 50 per cent of the school week physically in class. The ministry informed the TDSB of its refusal in a memo submitted to the board on Aug. 14.
In local news,
Durham’s health department is reporting seven new COVID-19 cases since Friday. They no longer update the data tracker on the weekend. It would appear on the data tracker that the number of cases only rose by six however, that is because a case was removed from Oshawa. Five of the new cases are in Whitby and two are in Ajax.
This is why COVID-19 is here to stay, folks. You may as well get used to it. Mask, and all.
From Ajax, 'Some are not getting the message': Ajax increasing bylaw enforcement in parks. By-law officers, private security and parks staff have been taking an educational approach to infractions in parks and open spaces. However, the number of infractions has continued to increase despite 2,406 warnings being issued since April 1.
From Scugog, On Patrol: Scugog insists overcrowding enforcement continues. Scugog has stepped up weekend patrols since the start of the coronavirus crisis, sending bylaw officers out and about around the township to ensure residents and visitors were adhering to physical-distancing rules as well as group size limits. The latter have slowly increased since March, when the province and township declared an emergency situation. Last month, after hearing an outcry from the public following a particularly busy weekend in Port Perry’s waterfront park, where dozens of people were observed -- and photographed -- crowding onto the Government Pier, Scugog moved to restrict access to the pier and reel in fishing areas by erecting new signs and pledging increased enforcement patrols.
And, this is just a few examples of "local" issues, it's happening all over Ontario and God knows where else.
Metrolinx has announced some major service changes to their GO Transit schedules, including adding back services that were reduced due to the pandemic. They say they’re also changing nearly every single train time across the board. The company says starting September 5, they’re reintroducing 15 to 30 minute train service during rush hours, and hourly or better in the midday, evenings and on weekends. All trains will continue to make all stops. They will run 66 trips each weekday, which is still just over 50 per cent of their pre-COVID service, which was 129 trips per day. More information and links to schedules, including bus changes, can be found by clicking here.
Sports, sports, sports,
Tukka Rask, (Boston Bruins) one of the best goalies in the NHL has left the bubble and went home to his family. He is not returning for the remainder of "this" season.
The CFL cancels 2020 season after failing to get funding from Ottawa. Unlike large U.S.-based leagues like the National Football League, the CFL's biggest source of revenue comes from ticket sales rather than TV deals. So, it's done. Maybe....forever? I hope not. I don't follow it, but the CFL fans that I know are a devoted group.
The Jays take on the Orioles tonight, probable pitcher is Ryu and for the Orioles, Cobb.
Musing,
If you want to get a better sense of what is going on around you, try to read/watch news from a different source everyday. Shake it up a bit.
"It's quite permissible to cut someone out of your life, if they only bring negativity. As a matter of fact, its an obligation you owe to yourself." (me)
"To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead." (THOMAS PAINE)
On this day in history, in 1998 the Monica Lewinsky scandal: US President Bill Clinton admits in taped testimony he had an "improper physical relationship" with the intern and on the same day admits before the nation he "misled people" about the relationship. Whatever happened to that dress?
In 1903, Joe Pulitzer donates $1 million to Columbia University & begins the Pulitzer Prizes in America. Wonder if i'll ever get one? As Borat once said."NAWT."
Black Cat appreciation day...who remembers Black Cat gum?
Today is – NATIONAL NONPROFIT DAY – NATIONAL I LOVE MY FEET DAY – BLACK CAT APPRECIATION DAY – NATIONAL THRIFT SHOP DAY – NATIONAL MASSACHUSETTS 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.
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