Worldwide stats provided by Worldometers put the global COVID-19 number of reported cases today at 113,188,469. (Deaths: 2,510,781 and Recovered: 88,793,161)
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 February 25, 2021:
Health Canada reported 855,126 confirmed cases of COVID-19, to date. 30,393 cases are active, there have been 21,807 deaths and 802,926 people have recovered.
The official Province of Ontario website is reporting 296,173 total confirmed cases and 6,893 total deaths. 10,050 are active. Currently, there are 675 people are in hospital with 287 of those cases currently in ICU. 279,230 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 11,709 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (270 active). Clarington rose to 870 cases, of which 23 are active. Hospitalized in Clarington currently: "3", total deceased: "14"
In international news,
Spain: COVID-19 cases continue to drop despite variants. (Over 3M vaccine doses have been administered) With just under 21,000 new coronavirus cases reported on Monday, Spain saw the lowest number of weekend infections so far this year. The news comes despite the Health Ministry confirming an increasing number of variants of concern from around the world. The variant first found in the UK has been sequenced nearly 900 times in Spain. The ministry said it is more contagious and could be more lethal than other strains, but will not drastically affect vaccines. “It’s expanding slower than expected,” said Fernando Simon, Spain’s chief epidemiologist. “Probably because the measures we’ve taken have helped prevent its spread.” Although the country has sequenced fewer than 1,000 cases, it has become dominant in the regions of Asturias, the Balearic Islands, Cantabria, and Catalonia. In Castile La Mancha or the Basque Country, it is still suspected to be behind less than 10% of cases. Meanwhile, the country has detected 15 cases of the variant first found in South Africa, which the ministry says makes vaccines less effective. South Africa even canceled the rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine after it was found to have little effect on COVID-19 caused by the mutation.
In national news,
(A really interesting listen) COVID-weary Canada should brace for 'worst wave of them all' in April. (Episode 90 of Down to Business podcast) This week on Down to Business, three experts spoke about the challenges and opportunities of vaccine rollout in Canada, perhaps the single biggest issue right now affecting the economic recovery. Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist, talked about the stumbling blocks that Canada has hit so far while rolling out the vaccine, as well as the biggest lessons he’s learned one year into the pandemic. Dr. Atul Kapur, an emergency physician in Ottawa, and the co-chair of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians’s public affairs committee, provided an inside view of the emergency rooms in our hospitals, which were already strained before the pandemic and how this has exacerbated the crisis. Lastly, Dr. Akwatu Khenti, chair of the Black Scientists’ Task Force on Vaccine Equity, explained how he’s working to clear up misconceptions about vaccines — which will be a key issue as we move forward.
In Ontario,
Ontarians over 80 can soon book COVID-19 vaccine appointments. Ontarians over the age of 80 will be able to book a vaccination appointment beginning the third week of March. Retired General Rick Hillier, Chair of the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force says the province’s online booking portal and hotline will go live on March 15th. Hillier says vaccinations for residents 75 years and older should start in Mid-April with residents 70 years and older set for May 1st, 65 years and older June 1st, and those 60 and older can book an appointment starting July 1st. However, he warned that the time frames could increase or decrease depending on the flow of vaccine shipments. As of Wednesday, just over 600,000 Ontarians have received a COVID-19 vaccine and 250,000 of them have been fully immunized with both shots.
Eight Toronto schools confirmed to have at least one COVID-19 case linked to variant of concern. Eight schools in Toronto have at least one COVID-19 case that has screened positive for a variant of concern, Toronto Public Health reported Wednesday. In a news release, TPH said it is currently working with schools to respond to COVID-19 variant cases. The eight schools impacted include Beverley School, Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute, Yeshiva Yesodei Hatorah, Gulfstream Public School, The Toronto Cheder, Helen Catholic School, Dante Alighieri Academy, and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School. “The affected individuals and cohorts have been dismissed from school with guidance based on their level of risk,” TPH said, adding that they have followed up with close contacts and recommended them to be tested. At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Toronto's top doctor said she expects the city will start to see cases of the more contagious COVID-19 variants circulating in its schools. “Certainly we expected that as schools returned to in-person learning we were expecting that we would see cases within those settings, and in light of the fact that there are variants of concern in the community, we expect and we should expect to see variants of concern within schools,” Toronto's Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa said. She said that moving forward, Toronto Public Health will treat all COVID-19 cases that arise in schools as variant cases unless proven otherwise.
In small town news,
First COVID-19 variant of concern confirmed in Peterborough. Man in his 20s, who works from home and is self-isolating, may have been infected with UK variant by former roommate. The first case of the more contagious UK variant of COVID-19 in Peterborough has been confirmed. On Tuesday (February 23), Peterborough Public Health confirmed a local resident has tested positive for B.1.1.7, commonly called the UK variant as it was first detected in the United Kingdom. “With this confirmation of a variant of concern, following public health measures has never been more important as variants of concern have a higher rate of transmissibility than the dominant COVID-19 strain,” says medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra in a media release. “Now it’s a race against time to try and immunize our most vulnerable populations while containing the spread of further cases,” she adds. “This is where we need everyone’s help.” The health unit says the variant case is a man in his 20s who works from home and is self-isolating, adding that contact tracing is underway. According to the health unit, the man appears to have been infected by a roommate who was identified as a high-risk contact of another case from another region. This roommate has since left the Peterborough area. There is one other high-risk contact connected to the man’s household who has tested negative, the health unit says, but will be retested in 10 days.
Musing,
Do Canadians still listen to Dr. Tam? (asking for a friend)
Statistics vary, but in less than seven years there won't be a single cell left in any of our bodies that's the same as it is today. This means that any human being who 'wants' to change is like a mountain river wanting to reach the valley floor. It's a done deal; that's what mountain rivers do, and 'changing' should be our first nature. (Guy FINLEY)
Did you know...there is a shortage of semi-conductors (electric components) that is stopping the production of many major products and disrupting international supply chains? (COVID, eh?)
Have you ever.....ridden one of those e-bikes?
WTF is ...............a semi conductor?
On this day in history, Young Muhammad Ali knocks out Sonny Liston for first world title.
On February 25, 1964, 22-year-old Cassius Clay shocks the odds-makers by dethroning world heavyweight boxing champ Sonny Liston in a seventh-round technical knockout. The dreaded Liston, who had twice demolished former champ Floyd Patterson in one round, was an 8-to-1 favorite. However, Clay predicted victory, boasting that he would “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” and knock out Liston in the eighth round.
Keep an eye on your feet, for the 'Time of the Old Woman' begins today and runs through March 4th. It's a period marked in North Africa where weather-prone accidents are said to be more likely. The first performing monkey in America debuted in NYC for a whopping one cent admission (1751), and in London, a pedestrian walked 20 miles backwards and then forwards in 8 hours (1838).
Today is - NATIONAL TOAST DAY – NATIONAL CHILI DAY – NATIONAL CHOCOLATE COVERED NUT DAY – NATIONAL CLAM CHOWDER 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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