Worldwide stats provided by Worldometers put the global COVID-19 number of reported cases today at 104,469,898. (Deaths: 2,352,883 and Recovered: 79,400,992)
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 February 10, 2021:
Health Canada reported 810,797 confirmed cases of COVID-19, to date. 39,179 cases are active, there have been 20,909 deaths and 750,709 people have recovered.
The official Province of Ontario website is reporting 280,494 total confirmed cases and 6,555 total deaths. 13,948 are active. Currently, there are 909 people are in hospital with 318 of those cases currently in ICU. 259,991 cases have been resolved. The Ontario government has previously said that when 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.
The Region of Durham reported 11,120 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (299 active). Clarington rose to 819 cases, of which 31 are active. Hospitalized in Clarington currently: "3", total deceased: "12"
In international news,
Dubai's RoboCafe is a boon to the COVID-wary. Nothing says social distancing quite like Dubai’s RoboCafe, where robots have replaced their human overlords. Customers can place their orders with German-made robots, who then prepare and deliver it straight to their tables. “It’s a good idea, especially right now,” said Emirati customer Jamal Ali Hassan, whose piping hot beverage was delivered with no spills. “Restaurant turnouts are low, so I would expect that this idea would be popular ... You order online and the robot works in front of you and gets you whatever you want within minutes.”
In national news,
Health Canada in 'final stages' of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine review. Health Canada is in its “final stages” of reviewing the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine candidate, according to the agency’s senior medical adviser Dr. Supriya Sharma. On Tuesday during a technical briefing, Sharma said that Health Canada is currently going back and forth with the pharmaceutical company about what information the label will include. “That's what we're in the process of doing right now,” she said, adding that this process can take “some time” before finalizing the review, which has been conducted in collaboration with the European Medicines Agency. (By the way, South Africa no longer uses this vaccine, as they have found it does not work against the variant. True story, right here.)
Exemptions allowed 74% of international travellers to skip COVID quarantine under old rules. Nothing has changed. A federal cabinet order includes about 20 other exemption categories, people who will now be able to avoid the new three-day hotel stay. As controversy swirls about new federal requirements that international air travellers spend a mandatory three days in a government-designated hotel, it seems most arrivals in Canada will still not have to quarantine at all. A long list of exemptions to the previous isolation order — from truck drivers to fishing crews and essential health workers — will remain in force, said Tammy Jarbeau, a Public Health Agency of Canada spokeswoman.
In Ontario,
Stay-at-home order should stay in effect as province monitors U.K. variant, Simcoe Muskoka’s top doctor says. Simcoe Muskoka’s top doctor says the provincewide stay-at-home order should be extended as variants of concerns have emerged across the province. Dr. Charles Gardner, who is the medical officer of health for the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU), said Premier Doug Ford should have waited to lift the order that is set to expire as early as tomorrow for some areas of the province. “I think there's definitely a risk being taken by the province in moving into the framework at this time as opposed to continuing with the stay-at-home order and the shutdown,” Gardner said during a virtual news conference Tuesday afternoon. “I think we need to be ready to move right back again into shutdown and the stay-at-home order if the numbers start to go up,” he added. The order, which was implemented on Jan. 14, urges residents to stay home unless they need to go out for essential reasons, including medical appointments, exercise and work. On Monday, the Ford government announced that the order will be lifted for three public health units in eastern Ontario as of 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, including Hastings Prince Edward Public Health; Kingston, Frontenac, and Lennox & Addington Public Health; and Renfrew County Public Health.
Meanwhile...........
From Thunder Bay, MPPs critical of province for not supporting regional reopening sooner. MPPs Judith Monteith-Farrell and Michael Gravelle said if the provincial government had the proper resources in place Ontario could have transitioned to a regional approach to reopening sooner. While the anticipated lifting of the lockdown and stay-at-order next week is welcome news to businesses and ski hills, northern MPPs say the province should have had the proper resources in place to implement a regional approach to reopening earlier to help those struggling. “I’ve always supported a regional approach to reopening but what is missing is the resources to make that happen,” said Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Judith Monteith-Farrell. “Where is the testing, where is the follow-up, where is the increased support for public health? If we had those things in place, we could have started opening up a lot sooner.”
In small town news,
From Hastings-Prince Edward County, Dr. Piotr Oglaza: Re-Opening Not a Return to Normal. HPE Public Health may be going into Green-Protect, but according to Medical Officer of Health Dr. Piotr Oglaza, that doesn’t mean that it’s back to business as usual. HPEPH has issued a number of additional health protocols to go along with the repealing of the Stay-at-Home Order. These include:
-Food orders will only be accepted for people living in regions where the stay-at-home Order has been lifted. Those who are travelling for essential reasons will be exempt. Dr. Oglaza says businesses should ask if they are from an area that still has a stay-at-home order, but won’t require them to show ID.
-Dine-in services are to be limited to six people.
-Contact information will be required for local food service establishments.
-Retail businesses will still need a COVID safety plan and use face coverings.
-Music must not be louder than normal conversation, and patrons may not line up.
Dr. Oglaza has said that individual businesses can go above and beyond the protocols. However, he’s urging everyone to remain vigilant, follow health guidelines, and stay local if you chose to leave the home. HPEPH says can revise this order if people are not complying, and will respond based on other areas as they come out of lockdown.
Musing,
If I hear "we are all in this together" one more time, i'm going to gag. Because we are not. I'm not saying I have never bent the rules, because I have and to me, they have never been clear anyway. That said, people will want to travel to Green Zones; Green Zone residents will not want them there. Many are trying (or have) jumped the queue for the vaccine. Many Canadians are still travelling despite orders. (then whine when there are repurcussions) People that were laid off and collecting CERB worked under the table, breaking public health guidelines. Food and supply hoarding and profiteering was wide-spread. Politicians have been sneaking around and travelling.......so, don't give me that "we are all in this together" crap. In my observations, it's largely been omnis hobo simi and like it or not my friends, in times of trouble that is human nature. (Oh, you disagree eh, Mr. Pollyanna? Really? Did you share your toilet paper?)
"In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable." (DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER)
"The test of your character is not the things you do, it's the things you ask other people to do for you." (me)
People are going to travel to Green Zones in Ontario this weekend. They just are and the HPE Medical Officer of Health knows it, too.
Did you know.....Bitcoin has a carbon footprint comparable to that of New Zealand, producing 36.95 megatons of CO2 annually, according to Digiconomist. The cryptocurrency consumes more electricity than the entire annual energy consumption of the Netherlands, Cambridge University researchers say.
Have you ever....played Chess?
WTF is ...............a brolly?
On this day in history, World chess champion Garry Kasparov loses game to computer.
On February 10, 1996, after three hours, world chess champion Garry Kasparov loses the first game of a six-game match against Deep Blue, an IBM computer capable of evaluating 200 million moves per second. Man was ultimately victorious over machine, however, as Kasparov bested Deep Blue in the match with three wins and two ties and took home the $400,000 prize. An estimated 6 million people worldwide followed the action on the internet.
On this date in 3641 B.C. the world was created, according to one Mayan calendar. PT Barnum staged the wedding of little people Gen. Tom Thumb and Mercy Lavinia Warren (1863).
Today is - NATIONAL HOME WARRANTY DAY - NATIONAL CREAM CHEESE BROWNIE DAY - NATIONAL UMBRELLA DAY
The Bank of Canada unclaimed balances portal can be found here.
COVID-19 vaccination approximate dates here.
Lakeridge Health Mental Health Clinic 905-440-7534 or toll free at 1-833-392-7363 (Monday-Friday 9am-4pm)
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