Worldwide stats provided by worldometers put the global COVID-19 number of reported cases today at 31,276,969. (Deaths: 965,656 and Recovered: 22,853,658) 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 Monday September 21, 2020:
Health Canada reported 143,649 confirmed cases of COVID-19, to date. 9,741 cases are active, there have been 9,217 deaths and 124,691 people have recovered.
The official Province of Ontario website is reporting 46,949 total confirmed cases and 2,827 total deaths. Currently, there are 63 people are in hospital with 23 of those in ICU. 40,968 cases have been resolved.
Quebec continues to have the highest reported cases in the country with 67,542. (2,944 are active)
The Region of Durham reported 2,020 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The site reports 1 current outbreaks (Hospitals, LTCF's and Retirement Homes) with 39 outbreaks having been "concluded." Clarington remains at 120 total cases. (3 are in isolation, 109 are resolved and 7 people have passed away. Hospitalized currently: "1")
School and Child Care Center outbreaks are currently at "zero."
In international news,
Especially important in COVID-19 times, At last! A cure for the hangover has been found, say Finnish researchers. Researchers say that as well as reducing or even eliminating hangovers entirely, the dose also helps 'reduce the need of drinking the next day'. A group of Finnish researchers believe they’ve discovered what people have spent centuries searching for: a cure for hangovers. A dose of 1,200 milligrams of amino acid L-cysteine was found to reduce alcohol-related nausea and headache, while a dose of 600 milligrams helped alleviate stress and anxiety, according to a study published in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism by researchers at the University of Helsinki and the University of Eastern Finland. The randomized, double-blind study had 19 healthy male volunteers consuming alcohol doses of 1.5 grams per kilogram over three hours in a controlled setting. The subjects were then asked to swallow placebo or L-cysteine tablets containing vitamin supplements. Researchers say that as well as reducing or even eliminating hangovers entirely, L-cysteine also helps “reduce the need of drinking the next day,” thereby cutting the risk of alcohol addiction. (Psssst, l-Cysteine is commonly available over the counter in drug stores.)
From Reuters, UK faces soaring COVID-19 death rate unless it moves fast, medics warn. Britain will face an exponentially growing death rate from COVID-19 within weeks unless Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government moves urgently to halt a rapidly spreading second wave of the outbreak, the country’s senior medics said on Monday. The United Kingdom already has the biggest official COVID-19 death toll in Europe - and the fifth largest in the world - while it is borrowing record amounts in an attempt to pump emergency money through the damaged economy. But new COVID-19 cases are rising by at least 6,000 per day in Britain, according to week-old data, hospital admissions are doubling every eight days, and the testing system is buckling. Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical officer, and Patrick Vallance, its chief scientific adviser, cautioned that if left unrestricted the epidemic would reach 50,000 new cases per day by mid October in the United Kingdom. “If this continued along the path...the number of deaths directly from COVID ... will continue to rise, potentially on an exponential curve, that means doubling and doubling and doubling again and you can quickly move from really quite small numbers to really very large numbers,” Whitty said.
In national news,
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole tests positive for COVID-19, will stay in isolation until October. Durham MP and Leader of the Federal Conservatives, Erin O’Toole has tested positive for COVID-19. His office confirmed the test result just hours after another federal party leader, Yves-Francois Blanchet of the Bloc Quebecois also received a positive test. Neither leader will attend the Liberal’s throne speech, which is set to happen within the week. O’Toole says he will isolate until at least October 1, while Blanchet says he is required to stay in isolation until September 26. Quebec Premier Francois Legault also says he will be getting tested, since he met with O’Toole earlier in the week. The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) says O’Toole, 47, is feeling well.
Canadians are still flocking to parks and businesses as country braces for second wave. Even though the back-to-school season has coincided with a steady rise in Canada's active COVID-19 case count and fears that a second wave may soon be upon us, Canadians do not seem to be meaningfully adjusting their behaviour when it comes to leaving the house. Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist at the University of Toronto, said Sunday that a lot of Canadians seem to be taking a "we can do whatever we want" approach to their life in recent weeks. "It feels to me like a lot of people just threw up their hands and said 'I'm tired of this. I'm hugging, I'm going out, I'm seeing friends,'" he told Sunday on CTV News Channel.
Hmmm...wonder how much a house costs in New Brunswick? No new COVID-19 cases in New Brunswick; one active case remains. New Brunswick is reporting no new cases of COVID-19. According to the province's website, as of Sunday, N.B. has 194 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 191 recoveries and two deaths. One active cases remains. New Brunswick last reported a new case on Monday. It involved an individual between 20 and 29 in Zone 1 (Moncton region). The case is travel-related and the individual is self-isolating.
Montreal, Quebec City under new restrictions as Quebec tries to fend off 2nd wave of COVID-19. Provincial government increased alert level for 3 regions on Sunday. The residents of Montreal and Quebec City are being urged to reduce their social activities to a minimum and face a host of new restrictions as the provincial government tries to curb a rapid increase in cases of COVID-19. Quebec's two largest cities, and the Chaudière-Appalaches region, which is south of Quebec City, will be under "moderate alert" beginning at midnight. That is the orange, or second-highest, alert level under the province's regional system for categorizing the danger posed by the novel coronavirus. Quebec reported 462 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and 427 new cases on Saturday. The province hasn't seen similar daily increases since late May. Hospitalizations have been increasing at a slower rate, and are now at 138, up from 124 a week ago. At a news conference on Sunday evening, Health Minister Christian Dubé announced several new public health rules for residents in the orange zones. These include:
-The maximum number of people allowed at a private gathering has been reduced from 10 to six. If a gathering is limited to members of two different families, then it can exceed the six-person maximum.
-Bars and restaurants will stop serving alcohol at 11 p.m. and will close at midnight. A maximum of six people will be allowed per table.
-A maximum of 25 people will be allowed to take part in events like weddings, barbecues or religious services. In settings that involve sitting and little talking, such as movie theatres or concert halls, the current 250-person limit remains in place.
In Ontario,
Government lowers social gathering limits province-wide to 10 people indoors, 25 people outdoors. As the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to rise, social gatherings in Ontario will be getting smaller. Premier Doug Ford announced Saturday that his government would be extending restrictions across the whole province. The number of people allowed at indoor events has now fallen from 50 to 10. At outdoor gatherings, the number has fallen from 100 to 25. As well, outdoor and indoor gatherings can’t be combined. On Thursday, these limits were imposed on Toronto, Peel Region and Ottawa, following rising case numbers in those three areas. That now applies to all events in Ontario, including parties, backyard BBQs, dinners and wedding receptions. On Saturday, the province announced 407 new COVID-19 cases – the highest since June 7. “Clearly, the numbers are heading in the wrong direction,” said Ford in a statement. “We need everyone to follow the public health rules in order to prevent another provincewide lockdown, and protect all our citizens, especially the elderly and the vulnerable.” The limits will not apply to bars, restaurants, movie theatres, gyms, sports events or places of worship. Those places will continue to follow existing safety regulations. As well, the province is proposing to alter current laws to create a new chargeable offence for hosting a gathering over the limits. That would entail a minimum $10,000 fine.
"It's the economy, stupid".........Why Ontario's COVID-19 spike has yet to prompt another lockdown. The last time Ontario recorded more than 400 new COVID-19 cases in a single day, the entire province was still in Stage 1 of its reopening plan. Restaurants, hair salon and barber shops were still closed. The reopening of indoor dining, gyms and bars – which came in Stage 3 – was still more than a month away. While the Ontario government said the “alarm bells are ringing” over the rapid surge in COVID-19 cases, the only thing to change so far is tighter restrictions on private gathering sizes. So what’s different this time? Despite saying Ontario is “clearly headed down the wrong path,” infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch told CTV News Toronto that back in the earlier stages of the pandemic, testing capacity wasn’t nearly what it is now. “Our ability to identify cases has gone up dramatically,” Bogoch said. “There is a better reflection of the ground truth now compared to then. If we were doing this degree of testing back then, we would have seen far more cases.” “Remember, we were turning people away from testing centres.” Bogoch said the case count was likely several times higher than what was reported each day back when testing capacity was lower. “Is it a perfectly accurate picture now? Of course it isn’t,” Bogoch said. “But it’s a much more accurate picture based on the current testing capacity.” Ontario set a new record for testing on Sunday, processing more than 40,000 swabs in a 24-hour period. The government said earlier this week, the next goal will be to increase daily testing capacity to 50,000. In addition, the positivity rate of tests – a key indicator when trying to determine how widespread a virus is in the community – now hovers around 1 per cent. While it has increased from August, it’s nowhere near the rate recorded in April and May when it reached 17 per cent at one point.
In local news,
Two more COVID-19 cases linked to Durham elementary schools. Two more COVID-19 cases have been confirmed within the Durham District School Board. According to the board’s online tracker, one of them is linked to Pierre Elliott Trudeau Public School in Oshawa. The other hails from Maple Ridge Public School in Pickering, where two other cases have previously been confirmed. It’s not clear if this new case is linked to the other two. In one classroom at Maple Ridge, half of the students have been told to stay home. However, due to a staggered start to the year, the other half hasn’t been affected. A total of eight cases have been linked to schools throughout the region.
Musing,
"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." (MAIMONIDES)
Did you know...the majority of deaths during the Spanish Flu (1918) pandemic came in the second wave?
On this day in history, Benedict Arnold commits treason. On September 21, 1780, during the American Revolution, American General Benedict Arnold meets with British Major John Andre to discuss handing over West Point to the British, in return for the promise of a large sum of money and a high position in the British army. The plot was foiled and Arnold, a former American hero, became synonymous with the word “traitor.”
Some guy named George Clooney makes "Facts of Life" debut. On September 21, 1985, a little-known actor named George Clooney makes his first appearance as a handyman on the popular TV sitcom The Facts of Life. Clooney appeared in 17 episodes of the show, which aired from 1979 to 1988 and chronicled the lives of a group of young women who meet at a fictional boarding school. Years later, he moved on to Hollywood superstardom in the hit TV medical drama ER and such films as The Perfect Storm, Ocean’s Eleven, Michael Clayton, Up in the Air and Gravity. (I hear he makes great tequila, too.)
Have you ever....swore at your computer when the web page you are on jumps all around because of pop-ups?
Today is - NATIONAL CHAI DAY – NATIONAL PECAN COOKIE DAY – NATIONAL NEW YORK DAY
a href="https://ubmswww.bank-banque-canada.ca/en/Property/SearchIndex">Bank of Canada unclaimed balances portal supportontariomade.ca
Here is how to clean your non-medical mask.
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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