This is Oakville's coronavirus update for Saturday, January 27, 2024. COVID-19 numbers continue last week's trend of notable improvements, including significantly better January numbers than any of the last three years.
New infections have matched last week's 8.6 average new cases per day almost identically, but the testing positivity fell from nearly 20% to just over 12% this week - a significant decrease in infectivity.
Only one new outbreak has been reported, and only three remain open through all of Halton. Five people remain in hospital being treated for COVID-19. Unfortunately, Halton has stopped reported where the open outbreaks and known hospital cases are located.
1 in 6 Halton residents are up-to-date on their correct dosage. But a significant majority of that group are seniors: among those under age 60, less than than 9% of the population had any booster dose in 2023.
There were approximately 2,200 new cases of coronavirus this week Canada-wide. While that number is still large, the rate of new cases has been consistently going down every week of 2024 so far, having decreased by 6-10% weekly.
Confirmed global deaths surpassed a grim milestone last week: 7 million people worldwide have died due to COVID-19, though the real count of unofficial deaths is millions higher. The worldwide case total has surpassed 770 million confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic.
**Vaccine booking: All doses and booster doses are now available for anyone in Halton age 5 and up. First doses are available for those six months and older.
While Halton's vaccine clinics are now closed, most pharmacies and health care centres are offering all numbered doses and boosters to patients.
New data from Halton Regional Health as of this week:
Halton is averaging 8.6 new COVID-19 cases per day, nearly identical to last week's 8.6 average daily cases (off by less than 0.1 average cases per day.)
- There are 3 active outbreaks in Halton (same as last week)
- 12.2% of locally administered COVID-19 tests are coming back positive (7.3% less than last week)
- 5 people are being treated in hospital with COVID-19 (7 less than last week)
Vaccinations in Halton Region:
- At least 1.66 million doses have been administered in Halton
- 93% of Halton residents have at least two doses (the primary series)
- 18% of eligible Halton residents (age 12+) are up to date on their booster shots (have had the primary series and a booster dose in the last six months)
- 46% of eligible residents have a primary series and a booster more than six months ago
Canadian COVID-19 Update:
- Canada has had 4.66 million cumulative cases of COVID-19
- There are 659,600 active cases in Canada (+2,200 this week)
- 3,576 people are currently in hospital (-218 this week)
- There are 52,201 deaths to date (+71 this week)
- 82.60% of Canadians have at least two doses of vaccine
- 51.64% of Canadians are vaccinated including one or more booster doses
Global COVID-19 Update:
- U.S. hospitalizations are down 1.4% this past week
- U.S. deaths have decreased 7.5% this week
- Americans with up-to-date with all recommended vaccine booster doses are no longer being reported by the CDC
- 774.29 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the pandemic started; 7.01 million people have died
- 143,700 people worldwide have been infected in the last seven days
The evidence is clear: though transmission has dramatically slowed, vaccination (including all recommended booster shots) is still the best way to be protected from contracting COVID-19.
Local, provincial, national and international health units affirm the same data that Canada's approved vaccines and all boosters effectively protect you from COVID-19 and significantly reduces your risk of getting sick, going to the hospital, and dying from the disease.
Book a vaccination appointment for any numbered dose of vaccine, including all boosters, online here
Sources:
- Halton Region (and halton.ca/covid19)
- Halton Healthcare
- Joseph Brant Hospital
- HDSB COVID Advisory Page
- The Government of Ontario dashboard
- Public Health Ontario COVID-19 Data Tool
- Government of Canada
- COVID-19 Vaccination Tracker Canada
- The U.S. Centre for Disease Control
- Our World in Data
- Johns Hopkins University Research Centre
- World Health Organization