Markus Winkler on Unsplah
COVID-19 Update
This is the Sunday, Dec. 18, 2021 coronavirus update. Through the Ontario.ca COVID status update, Halton reported 249 new cases. Halton is currently reporting 106.5 new weekly cases per 100,000, which is a 112.5 per cent increase from two weeks prior. This is significantly higher than Ontario's at 86.7 new weekly cases, up 60 per cent.
Despite the continued increases of new COVID-19 cases in Halton and Oakville, they are not translating into more hospital cases. Ontario's active cases now exceed 20,000, an increase just shy of 3,000, but hospital cases dropped by 99 cases to 283. People requiring ICU and ventilators have increased. However, Ontario's ICU capacity of 2,343 beds, of which 644 are unoccupied.
Ontario new limits in effect to limit community spread the COVID-19 Omicron variants started today, Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021. You can read a complete list of the new rules here. Some rules include:
- Indoor and outdoor gatherings will be capped to 10 and 25 people, respectively
- Several venues (like restaurants, bars, sports and entertainment venues) will be capped at 50%
- Food and drink services will be prohibited at sporting events, theatres, casinos and more
According to Ford and Moore, the most effective tool in slowing Omicron is getting fully vaccinated and a booster dose as soon as possible. Everyone age 18 and older will be eligible to book a booster vaccine dose (with a shortened window between doses two and three) beginning this coming Monday, Dec. 20, 2021.
The federal government has issued an advisory for all Canadians to avoid non-essential inter-provincial and international travel and re-instated molecular testing for all arrivals to Canada, both effective immediately.
NIAID via Foter.com
**Vaccine booking update: Halton is now booking first and second dose vaccinations for all residents age five and older, plus third dose boosters for some groups.
Booster doses and appointments for children must be made in advance, but first and second doses for those 12 and up are available on a walk-in basis.
All vaccines approved for use in Canada effectively protect you against COVID-19 and all known variants of concern.
Note: Oakville News updates are published at least five days a week, sharing new Halton data from Tuesday to Friday and Ontario, Canada, and globally Monday through Saturday.
Oakville and Halton COVID-19 update
Halton Region does not update information on weekends or holidays. Information gathered for Halton is from the Government of Ontario's COVID-19 Data.
- Halton has resumed walk-in appointments of first and second doses for those age 12 and up
- New cases in Halton - 245
- As of Dec. 18, 455 cases tested positive for Delta variant and 27 for Omicron.
Hospitalizations
- Oakville - 2 patients - no change from Saturday
- Halton - 4 patients - minus 1
Note: Halton Region combines its recovery count into one number with probable, now closed cases. This total includes some cases that were not coronavirus recoveries. Halton Region does not release the names of businesses with active outbreaks.
Ontario COVID-19 update
Ontario announced a long list of new rules and regulations to combat the incredibly fast spread of the Omicron variant in the province. A full list of changes tomorrow, Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021, can be read at this Oakville News story by clicking here.
- Ontario adds over 2,965 active cases. The total now exceeds 20,000.
- Everyone age 18 and older will be eligible to book a booster vaccine dose (with a shortened window between dose two and three) beginning this coming Monday, Dec. 20, 2021
- Today indoor and outdoor gatherings are capped at 10 and 25 people respectively
- Dr. Adalsteinn Brown, co-chair of Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, says without a 50% or more reduction in contacts, ICU admissions will reach "unsustainable levels by early January" 2022
- 80.46% of all eligible Ontarians (age 5 and older) are fully vaccinated
Summary of provincial vaccinations
- 12.11 million people have received at least one vaccine dose (81.68% of total pop.)
- At least 11.35 million people are fully vaccinated (76.61% of total pop.)
- 25.31 million vaccine doses administered (first, second and third) - plus 140,800
Changes are from figures in our last update. The province released this information on Dec. 19, 2021, as of the end of yesterday.
- 20,847 active cases - plus 2,965
- 283 people hospitalized - minus 99
- 649,943 confirmed cases - plus 4,177
- 618,993 recovered cases - plus 1,210
- 10,113 deaths - plus 2
- 629,106 resolved cases (deaths & recovered) or 96.7%
- 51,151 tests were conducted with a positive rate of 8.7%
- 159 people in ICU - plus 5
- 103 people on ventilators - plus 4
- 30 active, ongoing institutional outbreaks - plus 3
Note: institutional outbreaks count only hospitals, retirement homes and long-term care homes.
Summary of Variants of Concern (VOC)
These numbers are for the number of people who tested positive and further testing confirmed their specific case is one of a particular variant of concern. All totals are only for cases since November 1, 2021.
- No new cases of the Alpha, Beta or Gamma variants
- 14,399 confirmed cases of Delta variant - plus 175
- 250 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant - plus 32
Canadian and Global COVID-19 updates
- Several provinces and territories do no update their statistic on weekends
- Effective immediately, all international arrivals to Canada must have a negative molecular test result, regardless of citizenship of length of trip
- The Federal government has issued an advisory for all Canadians to avoid non-essential inter-provincial and international travel
- Research from the University of Hong Kong and health officials in South Africa say the Omicron variant infects and reproduces 70 times faster than Delta, but creates a less severe infection
Sources:
