Lygenztia *617 (Leaving on a jet plane? Not..........) Sunday January 31, 2021 [Lock-down: Day 17]

Worldwide stats provided by Worldometers put the global COVID-19 number of reported cases today at 103,451,002. (Deaths: 2,235,702 and Recovered: 75,017,269 )
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 Sunday January 31, 2021:
Health Canada reported 775,048 confirmed cases of COVID-19, to date. 45,186 cases are active, there have been 19,942 deaths and 700,920 people have recovered.

The official Province of Ontario website is reporting 266,363 total confirmed cases and 6,188 total deaths. 19,724 are active. Currently, there are 1,159 people are in hospital with 356 of those cases currently in ICU. 242,807 cases have been resolved. The government has previously said that once the number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU exceeds 300, it becomes nearly impossible for health-care workers to provide care not related to the disease. Ontario has now surpassed Quebec in active cases.

Quebec continues to have the highest reported cases in the country with 261,360. (14,509 are active)

The Region of Durham reported 10,705 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (453 active). Clarington rose to 778 cases, of which 33 are active. Hospitalized in Clarington currently: "5", total deceased: "11"

In international news,
How New Zealand eliminated COVID-19. New Zealand is free of COVID-19. Joe Stockman (LSE), who worked on the country’s COVID-19 response, describes how decisiveness, a successful communications strategy, a committed civil service and a degree of luck enabled it to return quickly to normal life. New Zealand has (twice) effectively eliminated COVID-19, and is heading into a summer of BBQs, musical festivals, and packed cricket stadiums – in stark contrast to the winter of discontent gripping Europe and the UK. How did this ill-prepared Pacific island nation beat the virus? By acting decisively, communicating clearly, being a little lucky, and by taking advantage of a particular strength.

In national news,
Canada's official COVID-19 death toll surpassed 20,000 on Sunday as flights to major sun destinations were grounded in an effort to limit further spread of the virus. The sobering figure emerged after Quebec and Ontario reported 31 and 43 new fatalities respectively related to the virus. That tally climbed by four later in the day when Manitoba logged four new associated deaths. Canada has now recorded 20,020 deaths since the first case of COVID-19 surfaced in the country just over a year ago. An average of 138 people with COVID-19 have died each day over the past week. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, has said the number of new daily cases is trending downward. But she's warned that it's still too soon to lift widespread public health restrictions, saying the virus is still spreading rapidly across parts of the country. She issued a statement on Sunday urging Canadians to follow public health rules in order to support front line health workers, who she said are at risk of psychological distress and burnout due to stress, long hours, the difficult medical decisions they have to make.

In Ontario,
From the Toronto Sun, School petition on COVID-19 condemned as racist actually prophetic. Petition was based on medical knowledge about COVID-19 .....at the time. With Canadian governments now scrambling to contain the spread of COVID-19 and its variants, a petition signed by thousands of parents in York Region last January that was condemned as racist at the time, now sounds prophetic. Attacked by politicians, public health officials and media pundits for promoting fear and hysteria, it begs two questions:
How is it that this petition — unsophisticated in its wording and containing numerous grammatical errors — understood the looming danger of the novel coronavirus first publicly diagnosed in Wuhan, China in January 2020, at a time when our politicians and the Public Health Agency of Canada were assuring us they had everything under control, right up to mid-March 2020?
How better off would we be today if our governments — regardless of the petition’s specific recommendations — had demonstrated the same sense of urgency at the start of the pandemic?

‘Disturbing trend’: Ottawa hospital sees rise in number of babies with severe head injuries during second wave of COVID-19. Children’s Aid workers in Ottawa are sounding the alarm over an increase in infants being treated in hospital for head injuries in the last year — a worrying trend that has also been observed in other parts of the country. The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) said there has been a “disturbing trend” since September of a rise in infants under the age of one presenting to hospitals with fractures and head trauma, both of which are signs of maltreatment. The trend, experts say, may be tied to regions across Canada that have been harder hit by COVID-19. CHEO has seen 20 babies with serious head injuries since September, compared to eight in the same time-frame in pre-pandemic 2019. Dr. Michelle Ward, a pediatrician at CHEO and the hospital’s medical director for child and youth protection, said this rise in infant head injuries is unlike anything she has seen in her 16 years at the children’s hospital. “When I saw that our numbers had more than doubled over this time period, I was worried about where we were headed,” Ward said. “Twenty infants in our region with serious injuries is not normal for us to see.”

In small town news,
Ontario reports 2,063 new COVID-19 cases and 73 new deaths, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes. Regional active cases remain at 113, with 9 new cases in Kawartha Lakes, 6 in Peterborough, and 1 in Northumberland. In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 16 new cases to report and 19 additional cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region remaining unchanged at 113. There has been 1 new COVID-19 death in Kawartha Lakes.


Musing,
So, New Zealand beat COVID without the vaccine. That's what leadership and looking out for your citizens can do, folks.

Superbowl next sunday; let's see what cases in the U.S. and Canada look like after that.

Did you know....New Zealand is back to normal? Yep, true story.

Have you ever...made Sangria?

WTF is ...............a Luthier?

On this day in history, The death of Guy Fawkes.
At Westminster in London, Guy Fawkes, a chief conspirator in the plot to blow up the British Parliament building, jumps to his death moments before his execution for treason. On the eve of a general parliamentary session scheduled for November 5, 1605, Sir Thomas Knyvet, a justice of the peace, found Guy Fawkes lurking in a cellar of the Parliament building. Fawkes was detained and the premises thoroughly searched. Nearly two tons of gunpowder were found hidden within the cellar. In his interrogation, Fawkes revealed that he was a participant in an English Catholic conspiracy organized by Robert Catesby to annihilate England’s entire Protestant government, including King James I. The king was to have attended Parliament on November 5.

Today is - NATIONAL BACKWARD DAY - INSPIRE YOUR HEART WITH ART DAY - NATIONAL HOT CHOCOLATE DAY


The Bank of Canada unclaimed balances portal can be found here.
COVID-19 vaccination approximate dates here.
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.

Lygenztia *616 (You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave [Canada]........) Friday January 29, 2021 [Lock-down: Day 16]

Worldwide stats provided by Worldometers put the global COVID-19 number of reported cases today at 102,144,932. (Deaths: 2,203,261 and Recovered: 73,995,432)
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 January 29, 2021:
Health Canada reported 766,103 confirmed cases of COVID-19, to date. 57,020 cases are active, there have been 19,644 deaths and 689,419 people have recovered.

The official Province of Ontario website is reporting 262,463 total confirmed cases and 6,014 total deaths. 21,478 are active. Currently, there are 1,338 people are in hospital with 358 of those cases currently in ICU. 234,971 cases have been resolved. The government has previously said that once the number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU exceeds 300, it becomes nearly impossible for health-care workers to provide care not related to the disease. Ontario has now surpassed Quebec in active cases.

Quebec continues to have the highest reported cases in the country with 258,698. (15,263 are active)

The Region of Durham reported 10,485 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (453 active). Clarington rose to 760 cases, of which 34 are active. Hospitalized in Clarington currently: "4", total deceased: "10"

In international news,
Canada will do as they are told by China, the EU, the U.S.A. and (I think) Malta and Lithuania. That's the international news, today.

In national news,
The Economist Economist Intelligence Unit predicts vaccines will not be available to Canada until summer, 2022. (Yes, 2022) There's a report out today from the Economist Intelligence Unit that is going to shock a lot of people. The research division of The Economist newspaper is predicting how long it'll take or nations across the world to vaccinate their residents. Some may never be offered doses. When it comes to Canada it thinks we'll be 6 months or more behind the US and Europe. It'll be the middle of next year before we see wide-spread vaccination coverage. Ian Lee is an economics professor from Carleton University and the correlation that he noted is that the US and the EU are home to the largest pharmaceutical companies. "I don't want to suggest that they are picking on Canada or punishing Canada, that's not my point, but once they look after themselves, once they ensure that everyone is looked after in the European countries and the U.S. countries then they will say 'ok, now we can start pushing out the exports. If they are delayed even a month or two in vaccinating almost everybody that is going to delay it coming to us. They are going to look after their own base first; they are going look after their own citizens first." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues to contend that Canadians will be largely be vaccinated by September. Lee firmly believes the prime minister knows this won't be achieved. The Economist Intelligence Unit didn't just make this stuff up out of thin air. They have superb contacts and relationships with governments in Europe; health ministries, economics ministries, finance ministries. They are getting information from the source. Well, so is the Government of Canada. Lee also points out that Canada has senior ambassadors in the U.S. and the EU that would bring this information to Ottawa.

(Later today) Trudeau to announce new measures to restrict travel abroad during COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce Friday new measures aimed at further restricting international travel as more infectious variants of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 spread around the globe. Trudeau has urged Canadians for weeks not to take any non-essential trips outside the country. And he has warned that the federal government could impose restrictions at any time that would make it harder for them to return. He is expected to follow up those warnings today with action in time to stop an exodus of winter-weary Canadians from taking advantage of the coming March break to vacation in warmer climes. Quebec Premier Francois Legault has been urging Ottawa to require anyone returning from abroad to quarantine for two weeks in a hotel, at their own expense. Trudeau, who has conspicuously left the door open to that option, is expected to adopt it today. He is also expected to announce other measures to further discourage travel abroad. (So, my fellow Canadians...international travellers can come in to Canada any old time they wish. But you...well, you aren't going anywhere.)

In Ontario,
Ontario government says it has been incorrectly reporting some COVID-19 vaccine data. The Ontario government has announced it has been reporting an incorrect number of people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, blaming a misinterpretation of the data. The government said Thursday that only half the people they have been reporting are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. According to the Ministry of Health, rather than providing data on the number of people who have been fully vaccinated, which would require two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, officials "inadvertently provided data on the number of doses administered to achieve full vaccination." "As a result, the number of people who have been fully vaccinated is half of what is currently listed," a statement from the Ministry of Health said. The government has updated since updated the online vaccine data to reflect the accurate total number people fully vaccinated, which as of Thursday morning is 55,286. (Current Ontario population - approximately 15 million)

No clear answer on when Ontario will end lockdown, new COVID cases coming down. Officials say Ontario is making progress with controlling the spread of COVID-19. Despite today’s concerning uptick in cases, the amount of tests returning positive across all ages has gone down since January 12th, but so did the testing numbers. Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams says it’s hard to say when businesses can safely reopen without causing any further spike in cases. Dr. Williams says mortality in long-term care homes continues to increase with 215 resident deaths reported over the past week. Intensive care units are still in high demand province-wide, with only one or two beds available in more than half of Ontario’s hospitals. However, officials project the number of ICU beds in use will go down by nearly a hundred beds over the next month.

In small town news,
Half of new COVID-19 cases in Kawartha Lakes and Northumberland due to outbreaks at long-term care homes. Medical officer of health says all area long-term care residents to be vaccinated by February 5. COVID-19 cases in the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge (HKPR) District Health Unit remain in an upswing, primarily due to worsening outbreaks in area long-term care homes. “Because of the restrictions that are in place, we are seeing quieter days sometimes, but we still have had over 150 cases in the last two weeks,” said Dr. Ian Gemmill, acting medical officer of health, during a virtual media briefing on Wednesday (January 27). “About half of those new cases are in outbreaks,” Dr. Gemmill said. There are currently six institutional outbreaks in the health unit’s region, the most serious of which is at Caressant Care McLaughlin Road long-term care home in Lindsay. The outbreak was declared on January 9. As of January 27, there are 22 confirmed cases in residents and 19 cases in staff, as well as three resident deaths.

Musing,
If you actually think these lock-downs are ending anytime soon; then, i've got some land in Florida to sell you.

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy." (DALE CARNEGIE)

If I sound bitter in this blog; I am. Justin had one job. Just one. Get the goddam vaccine, but he was duped and he blew it. Now, even more people will die, unnecessarily.

Did you know....the Economic Intelligence Unit is the oldest financial publication in existence? Want to subscribe? It costs THOUSANDS to subscribe, and is generally read by high level government officials, education institutions and bank/finance officials.

Have you ever.....wished bad things on a "big-wig"?

WTF is ...............Andorra?

On this day in history, in 1964, Dr. Strangelove premieres.
Stanley Kubrick’s dark comic masterpiece, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb opens in theaters to both critical and popular acclaim. The movie’s popularity was evidence of changing attitudes toward atomic weapons and the concept of nuclear deterrence.

Today is - NATIONAL CORN CHIP DAY – NATIONAL PUZZLE DAY – NATIONAL BIG WIG DAY


The Bank of Canada unclaimed balances portal can be found here.
COVID-19 vaccination approximate dates here.
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.

Lygenztia *615 (Cuba-Cuba-Cuba!.............) Thursday January 28, 2021 [Lock-down: Day 15]

Worldwide stats provided by Worldometers put the global COVID-19 number of reported cases today at 101,553,797. (Deaths: 2,186,709 and Recovered: 73,444,958)
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 Thursday January 28, 2021:
Health Canada reported 761,226 confirmed cases of COVID-19, to date. 57,740 cases are active, there have been 19,533 deaths and 683,953 people have recovered.

The official Province of Ontario website is reporting 260,370 total confirmed cases and 5,958 total deaths. 21,932 are active. Currently, there are 1,382 people are in hospital with 377 of those cases currently in ICU. 232,480 cases have been resolved. The government has previously said that once the number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU exceeds 300, it becomes nearly impossible for health-care workers to provide care not related to the disease. Ontario has now surpassed Quebec in active cases.

Quebec continues to have the highest reported cases in the country with 257,330. (15,479 are active)

The Region of Durham reported 10,411 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (438 active). Clarington rose to 756 cases, of which 31 are active. Hospitalized in Clarington currently: "4", total deceased: "10"

In international news,
(But, they told us it came from a bat?) WHO team in Wuhan probing COVID-19 origins moves out of quarantine. A World Health Organization-led team investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic left its quarantine hotel in Wuhan on Thursday to begin field work, two weeks after arriving in the Chinese city where the virus emerged in late 2019.

In national news,
Holiday season vacations coincide with rise in COVID-19 travel-related cases. As the federal government prepares to slap new restrictions on international travel, Health Canada data suggest a worrying uptick of infections directly connected to foreign arrivals. While travel exposures account for less than two per cent of all Canada’s COVID-19 cases, the number of cases in recent travellers, and people they came into close contact with after arriving, shows continual growth in recent months. In December, 486 cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in recent travellers, the most since March and up from 312 in November and 204 in October. Despite mandatory two-week quarantines for international travellers, there were 1,258 COVID-19 cases confirmed in people who had close contact with a recent traveller in December, up from 744 in November and 704 in October. In the first three weeks of January, 384 travel cases and 607 traveller-contact cases were confirmed. The figures also correspond with a recent rise in the number of people travelling, at least by air. Land-border arrivals are typically fewer in the winter because of the weather in much of the country, but more people arrived from the U.S. by air in December than any month since March. Arrivals from other international locations were higher in December than any month except August. Reports of notable Canadians ignoring pleas not to travel during the pandemic in favour of sun-kissed days on foreign beaches angered much of the country in the weeks after Christmas, and led to several high-profile provincial and federal politicians and health officials being fired, demoted or reprimanded. Between Nov. 30 and Dec. 27, 86,953 people flew into Canada from the United States, and 184,260 arrived by air from other international locations.

(Maybe send the disgraced Governor General as our ambassador, Justin? Apparently, she's quite the diplomat.) EU assures me it won’t cut off our COVID-19 vaccine shipments, Trudeau says. With Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole warning of “vaccine protectionism” abroad, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday that a top European Union leader assured him the bloc’s export controls will not cut off shipments of vital COVID-19 shots to Canada. During Question Period on Wednesday, O’Toole repeatedly pressed the prime minister on the government’s efforts to supply vaccines to Canadians. Pointing to how the European Union is implementing measures to monitor the export of COVID shots manufactured in member countries, the Conservative leader said in French that the “ferocious” global race for vaccines poses a risk to Canadian supply. Trudeau responded that he had spoken with EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen an hour earlier, and that she assured him the bloc’s measures are aimed at “transparency” and that they wouldn’t affect Canada’s contracts with vaccine suppliers in Europe. “We are all interested to see us receive the doses of vaccine that we purchased,” Trudeau said in French, appearing by video in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

In Ontario,
Ontario extends dose intervals due to shortage of vaccine. Memo says lack of stable supply necessitates changes. Citing the lack of new Pfizer vaccine deliveries this week, Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, issued a memo detailing how and when the province’s vaccine program will be extended up to 42 days. The memo, issued to hospitals CEOs and local medical officers, says the lack of stable supply necessitates the changes.“As you are aware, the Ministry received confirmation from the federal government last week that Ontario will not be receiving any Pfizer-BioNTech allocations for the week of Jan. 25 and only 26,325 doses in the week of Feb. 1. No further information has been provided for weeks of Feb. 8 or (Feb.) 15,” Williams said in his memo. Williams said that he understands this will change the province’s ability to vaccinate residents as planned. “However, this does not stop the vaccination program rollout, and it does not change Ontario’s commitment to vaccinating and protecting our residents in long-term care, high-risk retirement, and First Nations elder care homes,” Williams said.

Communities in northwestern Ontario asking province to change lockdown rules. Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls formally asks province to go back to regional approach.
The frustration with a provincial lockdown in northwestern Ontario is growing, and two communities in the region are officially marking their concerns at their municipal council tables. Earlier this week, Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls council asked the province to reconsider its rules when it comes to the provincial lockdown. Ontario should go back to using its regional approach, a resolution stated. The resolution specifically asked the provincial government to:
-Increase consultations with communities and small businesses in the North to find realistic ways for supporting businesses throughout the lockdown;
-Revisit blanket-provincial measures to COVID-19 response;
-Allow small businesses to remain open to in-store sales, with limited capacity and increased safety measures;
-Allow accommodation-based operators to function on a risk-based, regionally appropriate model, with increased safety measures;
-Permit construction work on a risk-based, regionally appropriate model, with increased safety measures, especially in the North, where large infrastructure related to pandemic response and health care do not comprise the majority of projects; and,
-That provincial relief funding programs be broadened to better address the needs of tourism-based, seasonally-based and sole proprietor industries.
Dufresne said the vast majority of businesses in the community are small businesses. Two will close at the end of the month.

In small town news,
Ontario reports 1,740 new COVID-19 cases, including 11 in greater Kawarthas region. Active regional cases fall to 155, with 6 new cases in Peterborough, 3 in Kawartha Lakes, and 2 in Northumberland. There are double-digit increases in Waterloo (77), Windsor-Essex (59), Hamilton (59), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (55), Durham (51), Halton (49), Niagara (49), Simcoe Muskoka (36), Middlesex-London (34), Ottawa (32), Eastern Ontario (18), Southwestern (13), Sudbury (12), and Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (12), with smaller increases in Brant (9), Chatham-Kent (7), Thunder Bay (6), and Lambton (6). The remaining 13 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 7 health units reporting no new cases at all. Of today’s new cases, 51% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (636) among people ages 20-39, followed by 497 cases among people ages 40-59. With 2,261 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.3% to 88.8%.


Musing,
DAT's COLD out there.

Wolf Moon tonight, check it out.

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." (CALVIN COOLIDGE)

Do anti-maskers also refuse to wear seatbelts? Just wondering....(I assume they do not use hospitals either, as hospitals utilize things called "science" and "modern medicine.")

Did you know...the Swedish language has over 25 different words for "snow"? (I have one, it's "goddamit".)

Have you ever......noticed that a kazoo looks just like a weed pipe?

WTF is ...............timbre?

On this day in history, at 11:38 a.m. EST, on January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Christa McAuliffe is on her way to becoming the first ordinary U.S. civilian to travel into space. McAuliffe, a 37-year-old high school social studies teacher from New Hampshire, won a competition that earned her a place among the seven-member crew of the Challenger. She underwent months of shuttle training but then, beginning January 23, was forced to wait six long days as the Challenger‘s launch countdown was repeatedly delayed because of weather and technical problems. Finally, on January 28, the shuttle lifted off.
Seventy-three seconds later, hundreds on the ground, including Christa’s family, stared in disbelief as the shuttle broke up in a forking plume of smoke and fire. Millions more watched the wrenching tragedy unfold on live television. There were no survivors.

Today is - NATIONAL FUN AT WORK DAY – NATIONAL KAZOO DAY – NATIONAL BLUEBERRY PANCAKE DAY – DATA PRIVACY DAY


The Bank of Canada unclaimed balances portal can be found here.
COVID-19 vaccination approximate dates here.
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.

Lygenztia *614 (Situation critical? I think T.S. Eliot will be correct...........) Wednesday January 27, 2021 [Lock-down: Day 14]

Worldwide stats provided by Worldometers put the global COVID-19 number of reported cases today at 100,982,261. (Deaths: 2,170,982 and Recovered: 73,002,108)
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 Wednesday January 27, 2021:
Health Canada reported 757,022 confirmed cases of COVID-19, to date. 59,551 cases are active, there have been 19,403 deaths and 678,068 people have recovered.

The official Province of Ontario website is reporting 258,700 total confirmed cases and 5,909 total deaths. 23,036 are active. Currently, there are 1,466 people are in hospital with 383 of those cases currently in ICU. 229,755 cases have been resolved. The government has previously said that once the number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU exceeds 300, it becomes nearly impossible for health-care workers to provide care not related to the disease. Ontario has now surpassed Quebec in active cases.

Quebec continues to have the highest reported cases in the country with 256,002. (15,622 are active)

The Region of Durham reported 10,358 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (484 active). Clarington rose to 752 cases, of which 33 are active. Hospitalized in Clarington currently: "4", total deceased: "10" (Despite lower Ontario numbers, Durham Region is steadily on the increase.)

In international news,
Global coronavirus cases surpassed 100 million on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, as countries around the world struggle with new virus variants and vaccine shortfalls. Almost 1.3% of the world’s population has now been infected with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, and more than 2.1 million people have died. One person has been infected every 7.7 seconds, on average, since the start of the year. Around 668,250 cases have been reported each day over the same period, and the global fatality rate stands at 2.15%. The worst-affected countries – the United States, India, Brazil, Russia and the United Kingdom – make up more than half all reported COVID-19 cases but represent 28% of the global population, according to a Reuters analysis. It took the world 11 months to record the first 50 million cases of the pandemic, compared to just three months for cases to double to 100 million.

In national news,
(Sadly, I am at the "so what?" stage. I've just given up.) An op-ed from the Toronto Sun: LILLEY: Who wants to defend Trudeau's vaccine plan now? The Trudeau government knew about problems with the deal to develop a COVID-19 vaccine with a Chinese firm within days of announcing it but kept the truth hidden from the public for months. The shocking revelations are contained in new documents tabled by the Trudeau government in the House of Commons this week. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau highlighted the deal on May 16, 2020, though he didn’t specifically mention Chinese pharmaceutical firm, CanSino, in his remarks. He simply said that the National Research Council (NRC) would work with a manufacturer. “If these vaccine trials are successful, we can produce and distribute it here at home,” Trudeau said. Yet, just days later the government found out there were problems. “On May 19, 2020, the government learned that a shipment of Ad5-nCoV vaccine candidate seeds destined for Canada was being held by the General Administration of Customs of China at Beijing Capital International Airport,” documents tabled in the House of Commons said. (The full article is here)
(Nobody, or nothing has done more damage to this country than Justin and his Liberals, yet nobody cares. He gets up there on the bully pulpit, uses his best drama teacher talk, finger wags at us and then doesn't answer anything. Yet, Canada loves him because he bought us off with CERB money. By the way, if you didn't already know what bully pulpit meant, stop reading this blog and go back to watching shows on Netflix.)

In Ontario,
(But, tests were also at an all-time low? Hmmmm) Ontario reports 1,670 new COVID-19 cases — fewest since late November. Downward trajectory of 7-day average of new daily cases continued. Ontario reported 1,670 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, the fewest on a single day since late November. They include 450 in Toronto, 342 in Peel Region, 171 in York Region and 128 in Niagara Region. Other public health units that saw double-digit increases were:

Hamilton: 84
Ottawa: 82
Waterloo Region: 75
Durham Region: 63
Halton Region: 48
Windsor-Essex: 37
Middlesex-London: 36
Eastern Ontario: 28
Simcoe Muskoka: 21
Brant County: 15
Chatham-Kent: 15
Thunder Bay: 14
Sudbury: 13
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph: 10
Porcupine: 10

(But yet, the international flights just keep on landing at Pearson) Hundreds of Pearson travellers test positive for COVID-19, Ford wants more tests. According to the federal government, at least 156 flights have landed in Canada between Jan. 10 and Jan. 23 that had passengers who tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in the country. The majority of the flights landed in Toronto (76), Montreal (40), and Calgary (24). There were also 70 domestic flights that had a passenger later test positive for the novel coronavirus. (So, our American friends can't visit [through a land border] but anywhere else in the planet? No worries, come on in!)

In small town news,
It’s a historic day for local communities as the first COVID-19 vaccines will start going into arms of area long-term care residents today. Earlier this week, the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit confirmed the first batch of vaccines – 700 doses of the Moderna vaccine – for the Northumberland, Kawartha and Haliburton areas. “This is the day we have been waiting for,” said Dr. Ian Gemmill, the health unit’s acting medical officer of health, following confirmation of the region’s first shipment, which did arrive earlier than anticipated. (Previous reports indicated the vaccine would arrive in early February.)


Musing,
The word "critical" has become so over-used during the pandeminc, that the word has lost the intensity of its meaning.

"April, is the cruelest month" (T.S. Eliot)

Have you ever...used records as frisbees? (And yes, it is dangerous)

WTF is ...............an LP?

Did you know............peanut butter can be converted to diamonds?

On this day in history, on January 27, 1888, the National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C., for “the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge.” The 33 men who originally met and formed the National Geographic Society were a diverse group of geographers, explorers, teachers, lawyers, cartographers, military officers and financiers. All shared an interest in scientific and geographical knowledge, as well as an opinion that in a time of discovery, invention, change and mass communication, Americans were becoming more curious about the world around them. With this in mind, the men drafted a constitution and elected as the Society’s president a lawyer and philanthropist named Gardiner Greene Hubbard. Neither a scientist nor a geographer, Hubbard represented the Society’s desire to reach out to the layman.

Today is - LIBRARY SHELFIE DAY – NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CAKE DAY


The Bank of Canada unclaimed balances portal can be found here.
COVID-19 vaccination approximate dates here.
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.

Lygenztia *613 (Today is "NATIONAL PLAN FOR VACATION DAY" but i'd suggest you plan for B.1.1.7, instead...........) Tuesday January 26, 2021 [Lock-down: Day 13]

Worldwide stats provided by Worldometers put the global COVID-19 number of reported cases today at 100,368,241. (Deaths: 2,151,883 and Recovered: 72,420,650)
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 Tuesday January 26, 2021:
Health Canada reported 753,011 confirmed cases of COVID-19, to date. 62,477 cases are active, there have been 19,238 deaths and 671,326 people have recovered.

The official Province of Ontario website is reporting 256,960 total confirmed cases and 5,846 total deaths. 23,620 are active. Currently, there are 1,398 people are in hospital with 397 of those cases currently in ICU. 227,494 cases have been resolved. The government has previously said that once the number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU exceeds 300, it becomes nearly impossible for health-care workers to provide care not related to the disease. Ontario has now surpassed Quebec in active cases.

Quebec continues to have the highest reported cases in the country with 254,836. (16,428 are active)

The Region of Durham reported 10,288 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (580 active). Clarington rose to 750 cases, of which 47 are active. Hospitalized in Clarington currently: "4", total deceased: "10" (For two days in a row, Durham has registered 50 or more new cases.)

In international news,
Everyday activities are more dangerous now that new COVID-19 variants are circulating, expert says. Health officials are "extremely" worried about the new COVID-19 variants that have been detected in the U.S. and what they could mean over the coming months, one expert said Monday night. "We've seen what happens in other countries that have actually had coronavirus under relatively good control, then these variants took over and they had explosive spread of the virus, and then overwhelmed hospitals," emergency physician Dr. Leana Wen told CNN's Anderson Cooper. Officials in Minnesota announced Monday they detected the P.1 variant of the virus in a traveller from Brazil. The variant is one of four being closely watched by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and appears to be more easily transmissible. CDC officials have also said another variant -- called B.1.1.7 and first spotted in the U.K. -- has been detected in more than 20 states.

In national news,
(Here they are....) Former casino CEO, actress identified as couple who flew to Yukon, got COVID-19 vaccines. Couple Rod and Ekaterina Baker are accused of flouting COVID-19 rules, lying about being local motel workers. The former president and CEO of a Canadian casino company and his wife are the couple accused of breaking Yukon COVID-19 rules and chartering a plane to the small community of Beaver Creek to receive doses of the Moderna vaccine. Rodney Baker, a 55-year-old who resigned from the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation on Sunday, and Ekaterina Baker, a 32-year-old aspiring actress, both received tickets at the Whitehorse airport on Jan. 21, according to court records. Yukon Community Services Minister John Streicker told CBC Monday the couple arrived in Whitehorse on Jan. 19. However, instead of completing a mandatory 14-day self-isolation period, the Bakers on Jan. 21 chartered a flight to Beaver Creek, a community of about 100 people that is located roughly 450 kilometres northwest of Whitehorse near the Alaska border. (Interesting eh? You can clearly see he is a scumbag just by looking at his photo....)

In Ontario,
There are now 43 confirmed cases of the B117 variant in Ontario and Toronto's top doctor says you should assume it is spreading. There are 43 confirmed cases of the B117 COVID variant in Ontario and officials are now acknowledging that the strain may not just be more contagious but could also cause “more severe illness” in some people as well. Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams shared the latest data during a briefing on Monday afternoon, confirming 34 cases. Updated information from York and Toronto health officials later in the day added nine more cases to the total. It is a big jump from last Thursday when officials were reporting just 15 cases of the so-called UK variant. Of the 43 cases, 15 are in York Region, 10 are in Toronto, seven are in Simcoe, three are in Peel, three are in Durham and three are in Ottawa. Kingston and Midddlesex-London have also had single cases. “The key issue is that with the aggressive nature of the UK variant in particular the reasons for being cautious and careful with masking and distancing are enhanced even further because it can be spread with breaches to those protocols in a very short period of time,” Williams warned. “We are going to have to be on our guard but the same measures that protect you from the other strain of COVID-19 will protect you from this one. But you have to do it consistently.”

Ontario has officially extended the province's state of emergency and all orders associated with it, including the stay-at-home order, for an additional 14 days. The state of emergency, that was declared under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) on Jan. 12, and the stay-at-home order will expire on Feb. 9, the government said. The announcement of the extension was expected after Premier Doug Ford said on Jan. 12 the state of emergency would be in effect for 28 days.

In small town news,
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit receives 700 doses of Moderna vaccine. Residents of Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon, Hope Street Terrace in Port Hope, and Maplewood in Brighton among first to be vaccinated. The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit announced on Monday (January 25) it has received its first allocation of COVID-19 vaccines — 700 doses of the Moderna vaccine. The health unit says it will be delivering the vaccine to long-term care homes in Northumberland County, Haliburton County, and the City of Kawartha Lakes so that residents can be vaccinated as soon as practical. There are around 1,600 residents living in area long-term care homes. The vaccine was delivered to Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay, which has agreed to receive and to store the health unit’s vaccine. From there, health unit staff will deliver the doses to area long-term care homes where residents will be vaccinated. It is expected that 100 to 150 vaccinations will take place each day.

Musing,
It really is interesting how numb we have become to COVID-19. Major stories break almost everyday (vaccine shortages, variants, deaths, outbreaks, restrictions on civil liberties) and it seems they barely raise an eyebrow, anymore.

"Remember upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all." (ALEXANDER THE GREAT)

Did you know... in order for Canada to meet its goal of vaccinating every Canadian by September that 2 million vaccine doses per week (starting now) would have to be administered? Not "procured", not "ordered", not "secured"...they actually would have to be injected into people's arms.

Did you also know............the term "playing hooky" is thought to have came from nineteenth century New York City slang, and it's thought to have its roots in the Dutch word hoekje, or "hide-and-seek."

Have you ever....played hooky from work? (C'mon, you had to know this was coming.)

WTF is ...............Mount Thor? (It's cool, check it out.)

On this day in history, “The Dukes of Hazzard” premieres.
On January 26, 1979, “The Dukes of Hazzard,” a television comedy about two good-old-boy cousins in the rural South and their souped-up 1969 Dodge Charger known as the General Lee, debuts on CBS. The show, which originally aired for seven seasons, centered around cousins Bo Duke (John Schneider) and Luke Duke (Tom Wopat) and their ongoing efforts to elude their nemeses, the crooked county commissioner “Boss” Jefferson Davis Hogg (Sorrell Booke) and the bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane (James Best).

Today is - NATIONAL PLAN FOR VACATION DAY – NATIONAL SPOUSES DAY – NATIONAL GREEN JUICE DAY – NATIONAL PEANUT BRITTLE DAY


The Bank of Canada unclaimed balances portal can be found here.
COVID-19 vaccination approximate dates here.
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.

Lygenztia *612 (And, how was the "weekend"?...........) Monday January 25, 2021 [Lock-down: Day 12]

Worldwide stats provided by Worldometers put the global COVID-19 number of reported cases today at 98,857,051. (Deaths: 2,140,733 and Recovered: 71,859,270)
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 January 25, 2021:
Health Canada reported 747,383 confirmed cases of COVID-19, to date. 63,668 cases are active, there have been 19,094 deaths and 664,621 people have recovered.

The official Province of Ontario website is reporting 255,002 total confirmed cases and 5,803 total deaths. 24,153 are active. Currently, there are 1,436 people are in hospital with 392 of those cases currently in ICU. 225,046 cases have been resolved. The government has previously said that once the number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU exceeds 300, it becomes nearly impossible for health-care workers to provide care not related to the disease. Ontario has now surpassed Quebec in active cases.

Quebec continues to have the highest reported cases in the country with 253,633. (16,940 are active)

The Region of Durham reported 10,234 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (666 active). Clarington rose to 745 cases, of which 53 are active. Hospitalized in Clarington currently: "2", total deceased: "9"

In international news,
China pushes fringe theories on pandemic origins, virus. Chinese state media have played up questions about Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine and whether it could be lethal to the very old. A government spokesperson suggests the coronavirus could have emerged from a U.S. military lab. As the ruling Communist Party faces growing questioning about China's vaccines and renewed criticism of its early COVID response, it is hitting back by encouraging fringe theories that some experts say could cause harm. State media and officials are sowing doubts about Western vaccines and the origin of the coronavirus in an apparent bid to deflect the attacks. Both issues are in the spotlight because of the ongoing rollout of vaccines globally and the recent arrival of a WHO team in Wuhan, China, to investigate the origins of the virus. While fringe theories may raise eyebrows overseas, the efforts also target a more receptive domestic audience. The social media hashtag "American's Ft. Detrick," started by the Communist Youth League, was viewed at least 1.4 billion times last week after a Foreign Ministry spokesperson called for a WHO investigation of the biological weapons lab in Maryland. "It's purpose is to shift the blame from mishandling by (the) Chinese government in the pandemic's early days to conspiracy by the U.S.," said Fang Shimin, a now-U.S.-based writer known for exposing faked degrees and other fraud in Chinese science. "The tactic is quite successful because of widespread anti-American sentiment in China."

In national news,
Too soon to know if Canada's COVID-19 case decline will continue, Dr. Tam says. It's still too soon to know whether the recent downward trend in new COVID-19 cases will continue, Canada's chief public health officer said Sunday as several provinces grappled with outbreaks that threatened to derail their fragile progress. Dr. Theresa Tam said there's been an improvement in the COVID-19 numbers in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, but the disease is regaining steam elsewhere. "While community-based measures may be starting to take effect in some areas, it is too soon to be sure that current measures are strong enough and broad enough to maintain a steady downward trend across the country," she wrote in a statement.

In Ontario,
Ontario Premier, COVID-19 vaccine team to speak as Pfizer dose deliveries slow to halt. Ontario Premier Doug Ford and members of his cabinet and vaccine distribution task force will speak Monday as the province enters the week without any new deliveries of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine. Pfizer, the larger of two suppliers of two approved COVID-19 vaccines to Canada, said last week it would drastically reduce deliveries to the EU and Canada in February as it retools a manufacturing plant in order to boost its annual output by 700 million doses. As a result, Canada will receive no Pfizer vaccine doses this week and between 66- 80 per cent fewer than expected doses for much of February. However, the federal government says Ontario will receive more than 81,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine by Feb. 7. News of the delivery slowdown has prompted the province to narrow its vaccination effort to long-term care homes and high risk retirement residences. It has also prompted federal officials to allow a doubling of the gap between doses of the vaccine in certain circumstances. Ford will be joined by Ret. Gen. Rick Hillier, Health Minister Christine Elliott and Solicitor General Sylvia Jones at Queen’s Park this afternoon.

In small town news,
From Bancroft, The Muse Restaurant and Gallery Set Up GoFundMe to Weather Second Lockdown. A local business has started a GoFundMe to help stay afloat during the second lockdown. The Muse restaurant and Gallery says an already slow winter has made it difficult to stay open. But co-owner Tracy Wemp says they have some ideas on how to move forward. Much like other restaurants in the area, they are looking to take orders throughout the week and do a single-day open, where people would order ahead of time. They say that the business is a labour of love, and they want to continue offering their food to the community. Wemp says that they are still waiting to see if they apply for any of the new programs offered during this round of lockdown.


Musing,
Speaking of hugs last week...........The end of hugs: how the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything one year after Canada's first case.

"Thanks are the highest form of thought, and gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." (G.K. CHESTERTON)

So many mixed messages from government and media right now............it seems like every other conversation I have with someone these days sounds like this "So, you can do "X", but you can't do "Y", that doesn't make any sense."

Did you know...bubble wrap was invented by accident and was (originally) being developed as a textured wallpaper?

Have you ever...jumped out of a hot tub and made a snow angel?

WTF is ...............the Arkenstone?

On this day in history, World’s largest diamond found.
On January 25, 1905, at the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa, a 3,106-carat diamond is discovered during a routine inspection by the mine’s superintendent. Weighing 1.33 pounds, and christened the “Cullinan,” it was the largest diamond ever found.

Today is - NATIONAL OPPOSITE DAY – NATIONAL IRISH COFFEE DAY – NATIONAL BUBBLE WRAP DAY – NATIONAL FLORIDA DAY


The Bank of Canada unclaimed balances portal can be found here.
COVID-19 vaccination approximate dates here.
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.

Lygenztia *611 (A year ago...........) Sunday January 24, 2021 [Lock-down: Day 11]

Worldwide stats provided by Worldometers put the global COVID-19 number of reported cases today at 99,405,510. (Deaths: 2,132,012 and Recovered: 71,477,400)
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 Sunday January 24, 2021:
Health Canada reported 737,407 confirmed cases of COVID-19, to date. 65,750 cases are active, there have been 18,828 deaths and 652,859 people have recovered.

The official Province of Ontario website is reporting 252,585 total confirmed cases and 5,753 total deaths. 25,263 are active. Currently, there are 1,501 people are in hospital with 395 of those cases currently in ICU. 222,287 cases have been resolved. The government has previously said that once the number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU exceeds 300, it becomes nearly impossible for health-care workers to provide care not related to the disease. Ontario has now surpassed Quebec in active cases.

Quebec continues to have the highest reported cases in the country with 250,491. (17,763 are active)

The Region of Durham reported 10,179 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (710 active). Clarington rose to 737 cases, of which 53 are active. Hospitalized in Clarington currently: "1", total deceased: "9"

In international news,
(All part of the plan.) Wuhan, China returns to normal as world continues to battle coronavirus pandemic. A year ago, a notice sent to smartphones in Wuhan at 2 a.m. announced the world’s first coronavirus lockdown, bringing the bustling central Chinese industrial and transport centre to a virtual standstill almost overnight. It would last 76 days. Early Saturday morning, however, residents of the city where the virus was first detected were jogging and practicing tai chi in a fog-shrouded park beside the mighty Yangtze River. Life has largely returned to normal in the city of 11 million, even as the rest of the world grapples with the spread of the virus’ more contagious variants. Efforts to vaccinate people for COVID-19 have been frustrated by disarray and limited supplies in some places. The scourge has killed more than 2 million people worldwide. See for yourself, video here.

In national news,
(Why isn't this getting national coverage?) Montreal Researchers Have Found An Oral Drug That Can Help Treat COVID-19. The Montreal Heart Institute is calling it a world first. Quebec researchers from the Montreal Heart Institute have found that colchicine — a medication used to treat inflammation and gout — is an effective oral treatment for COVID-19. Colchicine is currently the only known effective oral medication for treating non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients — a world first, according to a press release issued by the Institute on January 23. The Institute tested the efficacy of the oral treatment as part of its COLCORONA clinical trial — a "contact-less, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial that took place at home" among approximately 4,500 COVID-19 patients worldwide, with at least one risk factor for complications. Colchicine treatment reduced hospitalizations for patients in the study by 25%, reduced the need for mechanical ventilation by 50%, and reduced deaths by 44%. Study results show that colchicine has overall reduced the risk of death or hospitalizations in patients with COVID-19 by 21% compared to a placebo, the press release says.

(Just when you think people can't sink any lower, someone manages to dig the hole deeper.) Couple charged after travelling to Yukon to get COVID-19 vaccine. A cabinet minister says a couple from outside Yukon travelled to a remote community in the territory this week and received doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Community Services Minister John Streiker says he’s outraged the man and woman allegedly chartered a flight to Beaver Creek, the most westerly community in Canada near the border with Alaska, to get the shots. Streiker says he heard Thursday night that the Canadian couple arrived in Yukon on Tuesdayand declared they would follow the territory’s mandatory two-week self-isolation protocol, but instead travelled to Beaver Creek. He says the two people have been charged under Yukon’s Civil Emergency Measures Act for failure to self-isolate and failure to behave in a manner consistent with their declaration upon arrival. Streiker says the couple allegedly presented themselves as visiting workers, misleading staff at the mobile vaccination clinic in Beaver Creek. He says territorial enforcement officers received a call about the couple, who were later intercepted at the Whitehorse airport trying to leave Yukon. The maximum fine under the emergency measures act is $500, and up to six months in jail. (500 bucks. Big deal. My guess is, if they had the money to charter a plane, then 500 bucks is nothing to them. Jail 'em.)

In Ontario,
London, Ont. teen who worked at long-term care home dies after COVID-19 diagnosis. A 19-year-old man who worked as a cleaner at a long-term care home outside of London, Ont. died Thursday after contracting COVID-19. The Middlesex-London Health Unit confirmed his death on Saturday as it reported 50 new cases and two other fatalities. CTV News spoke to the family and friends of the teen, who has been identified as Yassin Dabeh. He worked as a contract cleaner at Middlesex Terrace in Delaware, Ont. Dr. Alex Summers, the region's associate medical officer of health, said Dabeh likely got infected while working at the nursing home. He noted that there had been a number of outbreaks at long-term care facilities in his region as a result of high community transmission. "It is a reminder about how much transmission we have seen in congregate care settings that house seniors like long-term care across this province and across the country, and certainly emphasizes how important these early vaccination efforts are, and how important outbreak interventions are as well," Summers said in an interview with CP24. While it is rare to see COVID-19 deaths among young people, it does happen, Summers said.

In small town news,
Three people fined during anti-lockdown protest at Peterborough City Hall. Police say up to 18 protestors were not wearing masks and not maintaining physical distancing. Peterborough police fined three people under the Reopening Ontario Act during an anti-lockdown protest at Peterborough City Hall on Saturday afternoon (January 23). At 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, police responded to the protest, which they say was organized by the same group that held a similar protest last Saturday. Police estimate there were between 15 to 18 protestors in the group. “Police were able to convince 10 other protestors from joining the group,” reads a police media release.

Musing,
Today, i'm going to.....do nothing. (again)

“Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world...would do this, it would change the earth.” (William Faulkner)

WTF is ...............a BAOBAB tree?

Have you ever....tried to hum while you held your nose? (Can't be done, BTW)

On this day in history, one year ago (today) the first case of COVID-19 was detected in Canada, in a traveller returning from Wuhan, China.

Today is - BEER CAN APPRECIATION DAY - NATIONAL COMPLIMENT DAY - NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER DAY


The Bank of Canada unclaimed balances portal can be found here.
COVID-19 vaccination approximate dates here.
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.

Lygenztia *610 (Second saturday lock-down.....) Saturday January 23, 2021 [Lock-down: Day 10]

Worldwide stats provided by Worldometers put the global COVID-19 number of reported cases today at 98,834,731. (Deaths: 2,118,422 and Recovered: 71,045,686)
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 Saturday January 23, 2021:
Health Canada reported 737,407 confirmed cases of COVID-19, to date. 65,750 cases are active, there have been 18,828 deaths and 652,82912 people have recovered.

The official Province of Ontario website is reporting 250,226 total confirmed cases and 5,701 total deaths. 25,263 are active. Currently, there are 1,512 people are in hospital with 383 of those cases currently in ICU. 219,262 cases have been resolved. The government has previously said that once the number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU exceeds 300, it becomes nearly impossible for health-care workers to provide care not related to the disease. Ontario has now surpassed Quebec in active cases.

Quebec continues to have the highest reported cases in the country with 250,491. (17,763 are active)

The Region of Durham reported 10,088 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (675 active). Clarington rose to 728 cases, of which 49 are active. Hospitalized in Clarington currently: "1", total deceased: "9"

In international news,
(Costa Rica, anyone?) How COVID-19 Changed The Residency Process in Costa Rica. For entry requirements and recently announced new restrictions within Costa Rica, please click on the links below and also read part one “How COVID-19 Changed Costa Rica Immigration in the Eyes of Residency Expert Laura Gutierrez” a recently published article on December 29th. You might also want to bookmark the Costa Rica Ministry of Tourism website https://www.visitcostarica.com/en/costa-rica/planning-your-trip/entry-requirements. Be sure to “Refresh” the site each visit to ensure you are reading the most current updates. As a reminder, there are two parts to submissions of applications for Costa Rica residency. The first part is a required visit to the Dactiloscopia (Fingerprinting Center) in San Pedro (part of San Jose.) Before COVID, it was merely a first-come, first-served situation. In an out in 30 – 45 minutes for fingerprinting and an Interpol background check. (Nothing to do with FBI, RCMP, or EU background reports.)

In national news,
New cases of COVID-19 dropping in Canada as experts say lockdowns are working. New cases of COVID-19 have steadily dropped over the last 12 days, a downward trend that experts say offers reason for hope even as the second wave pushes hospitals dangerously close to capacity. Tracking by CTVNews.ca shows the country’s seven-day average has consistently fallen since Jan. 10, from 8,260 cases to 5,957 cases by Jan. 22. Twelve days may seem brief, but infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch said the trajectory is a clear trend in the right direction.

In Ontario,
(Expect mail delays, folks.) COVID-19 cases at Canada Post facility in Mississauga now up to 182 as CBSA pulls workers from facility. The inspection of incoming international mail at a Canada Post facility in Mississauga is on hold after the Canadian Border Service Agency pulled its workers from the site amid concerns about a COVID-19 outbreak. A total of 182 workers at Canada Post’s Dixie Road location have tested positive for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus so far this month. That number had stood at 121 as of Wednesday but dozens of additional workers have tested positive since then due to the widespread testing of one entire shift, as recommended by public health officials.

Union says that there are at least 90 positive cases of COVID-19 at Maplehurst Correctional Complex in Milton. A COVID-19 outbreak at Maplehurst Correctional Complex in Milton has resulted in at least 90 positive cases and the union that represents workers at the jail is now calling for a pause on the admission of new inmates. OPSEU Local 234 President Peter Figliola, whose union represents correctional workers at the jail, tells CP24 that the Ministry of the Solicitor-General has said that there have been at least 20 positive cases among staff and at least 70 positive cases among inmates so far. He says that as recently as Tuesday, when an outbreak was first declared, there was only 20 combined cases. He said that dozens of other staff members are also at home self-isolating.

In small town news,
COVID-19 curve in Peterborough flattening as schools set to reopen on Monday. Positivity rate has dropped, but 90-year-old community resident has died after contracting virus from unknown source. Those looking for an encouraging sign that the local rate of COVID-19 infection is showing improvement need look no further than the decision to reopen local schools on Monday, January 25th. During a Peterborough Public Health media briefing held Friday (January 22), medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra said the decision to reopen local schools was made after consultation with Ontario Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams.

The Hastings Prince Edward District School Board is pledging that students will be safe when they return to school. Sean Monteith, Director of Education for the Board, says their schools will be safe and clean when they open their doors on Monday. However, they are asking students and staff to self-screen each day. Due to the new provincial mandate about mandatory masks for grades 1 to 3, the board’s schools will provide masks for these students. The board is also complying with the stay at home order and will have as few people as possible in their offices at this time.

Musing,
"There is too much peanut butter on this sandwich" said nobody ever.

“An old tiger sensing the end are at their most fierce and go down fighting." (SEAN CONNERY)

Have you ever....used the weather as an excuse to avoid chores? (Guilty, as charged.)

WTF is ...............cursive writing?

On this day in history, Toy company Wham-O produces first Frisbees.
On January 23, 1957, machines at the Wham-O toy company roll out the first batch of their aerodynamic plastic discs—now known to millions of fans all over the world as Frisbees. The story of the Frisbee began in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where William Frisbie opened the Frisbie Pie Company in 1871. Students from nearby universities would throw the empty pie tins to each other, yelling “Frisbie!” as they let go. In 1948, Walter Frederick Morrison and his partner Warren Franscioni invented a plastic version of the disc called the “Flying Saucer” that could fly further and more accurately than the tin pie plates.

Today is - NATIONAL HANDWRITING DAY - NATIONAL PIE DAY


The Bank of Canada unclaimed balances portal can be found here.
COVID-19 vaccination approximate dates here.
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.

Lygenztia *609 (Numbers are up, but "active cases" are dropping quickly. That's good, right?.....) Friday January 22, 2021 [Lock-down: Day 9]

Worldwide stats provided by Worldometers put the global COVID-19 number of reported cases today at 98,213,310. (Deaths: 2,103,101 and Recovered: 70,609,299)
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 January 22, 2021:
Health Canada reported 731,450 confirmed cases of COVID-19, to date. 67,099 cases are active, there have been 18,622 deaths and 645,729 people have recovered.

The official Province of Ontario website is reporting 247,564 total confirmed cases and 5,614 total deaths. 26,063 are active. Currently, there are 1,533 people are in hospital with 388 of those cases currently in ICU. 215,887 cases have been resolved. The government has previously said that once the number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU exceeds 300, it becomes nearly impossible for health-care workers to provide care not related to the disease. Ontario has now surpassed Quebec in active cases.

Quebec continues to have the highest reported cases in the country with 248,860. (18,260 are active)

The Region of Durham reported 10,024 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (744 active). Clarington rose to 721 cases, of which 55 are active. Hospitalized in Clarington currently: "1", total deceased: "9"

In international news,
(Me, first right Doc?)Texas doctor charged after allegedly stealing nine doses of COVID-19 vaccine for family, friends. If convicted, Dr. Hasan Gokal, 48, could face a prison sentence of up to one year and a $4,000 fine.

In national news,
Canada deporting thousands even as pandemic rages. Canada deported thousands of people even as COVID-19 raged last year, data seen by Reuters shows, and lawyers say deportations are ramping up, putting people needlessly at risk in the midst of a global health emergency. Like many other countries, Canada is struggling to stop a second wave from spiraling out of control, and its political leaders are begging residents to stay home to prevent the spread. Lawyers and human rights advocates are decrying Canada’s November decision to resume deportations. Until now, the extent of the country’s pandemic deportations was not known, but recent interviews with immigration lawyers and scrutiny of government numbers has shed light on the situation. Canada counted 12,122 people as removed in 2020 – 875 more than the previous year and the highest number since at least 2015, according to Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) data seen by Reuters. The government says this was necessary and done safely.

In Ontario,
(A real tragedy unfolding in Barrie...) 'This has to be the variant,' Barrie, Ont. long-term care home saw 55 COVID-19 cases in 2 days. A worker who had close contact with someone who travelled abroad was one of the first to be suspected of carrying a highly contagious coronavirus variant into Barrie’s Roberta Place long-term care home, health officials said Thursday. The worker followed all precautions, was tested regularly, but did not initially show symptoms. She went home to self-isolate immediately after showing symptoms, but it was too late. The infection spread through the home, with 55 people showing symptoms in the next two days, sparking an outbreak declaration. The speed of the spread caused alarm among local health experts, who thought something else must be at play. “It was very early on that we were certainly contemplating, this has to be the variant,” Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Colin Lee said Thursday. As of Thursday afternoon, 122 of the home’s 130 residents have tested positive, along with 74 staff members whose infections are still considered to be active. Twenty-five residents have died so far and five others remain in hospital. The person who the worker considered to be the index case at the home travelled abroad but not to the home countries of the three known coronavirus variants of most concern – The United Kingdom, home of the B.1.1.7 variant, South Africa, the home of the 501Y.V2 variant and Brazil, where the E484K mutation was first detected. “The first case had close contact with someone who did travel outside the country and then came back and became ill while quarantining,” Lee said, declining to name the country due to privacy concerns.

(But, good news on the horizon, it appears) Ontario reports fewer than 2,700 new cases of COVID-19 as positivity rate continues to drop. Ontario health officials are reporting less than 2,700 new cases of COVID-19 as the province’s positivity rate dropped for the third day in a row. The province logged 2,662 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday, as well as 87 more deaths related to the disease. With more than 71,000 COVID-19 tests conducted, Ontario Ministry of Health said the positivity rate for the province dropped to 3.3 per cent on Friday, the lowest seen since Dec. 12 when it stood at 3.2 per cent.

In small town news,
Students in greater Kawarthas region resume in-person learning January 25. Mandatory masks now expanded to include students in grades 1 to 3, targeted asymptomatic testing and enhanced screening measures will be in place. Ontario education minister Stephen Lecce issued a statement about school re-openings late Wednesday afternoon (January 20). “On the advice from the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the government is allowing seven public health units and over 100,000 students to return to class on Monday, January 25,” Lecce states. “Getting students back into class is our top priority.”

Musing,
Any guesses as to who is the current authority on COVID-19? Fucking nobody, that's who.

"Any fool can criticize, complain, and condemn—and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving." (DALE CARNEGIE)

I researched the difference bewteen psychokenisis and telekenisis and the answer moved me. (Look it up yourself, lazy bum.)

Have you ever....noticed that when someone begins a conversation with "Now, just so you know, this isn't funny.." the topic is usually...funny?

WTF is ...............the Gruen transfer?

On this day in history, Lyndon Baines Johnson dies in Texas.
(Depending on who/what you beleive, LBJ knew of the JFK assassination, in advance.) On January 22, 1973, former President Lyndon Baines Johnson dies in Johnson City, Texas, at the age of 64.

Today is - CELEBRATION OF LIFE DAY – NATIONAL BLONDE BROWNIE DAY – NATIONAL SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE DAY


The Bank of Canada unclaimed balances portal can be found here.
COVID-19 vaccination approximate dates here.
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.