COVID-19 Ottawa:
Ottawa Public Health is reporting 15 new confirmed COVID-19 cases Friday.
2,610 cases have been recorded here throughout the pandemic, and 184 of those cases are active, with 82 per cent of patients now recovered. No new deaths have been recorded for more than a week now, with that number staying at 264.
COVID-19 Ontario:
Ontario is reporting 88 new cases of COVID-19 and no new deaths related to the virus Friday.
Health Minister Christine Elliott points out that it’s the fifth consecutive day with fewer than 100 new cases of the virus. The total number of cases now stands at 39,897, with 36,024 cases marked as resolved and 2,783 deaths.
More Money For Ontario Childcare:
The Ontario and federal governments are announcing new funding to help support child care in the province.
They have earmarked $234.6 million for childhood and early-years settings among licensed daycare facilities. The money is part of the Safe Restart agreement, a deal struck between both governments that will see Ontario receive $7-billion in additional funding.
This money will be used to enhance cleaning and public safety protocols for facilities including licensed daycare providers and First Nations Child and Family programs.
Hydro One Extends Moratorium on Disconnections:
Ontario’s primary electricity provider says it’s extending a ban on disconnecting homes from the power grid until further notice.
Hydro One first issued the ban towards the beginning of the outbreak, saying customers needed to be able to rely on electricity while they were kept at home during the pandemic. The ban was initially set to expire at the end of July, but has now been extended without a fixed end-date.
Stolen Bikes Recovered:
Ottawa Police have recovered 30 stolen bicycles following a month long investigation into thefts from the Centretown and Lowertown Neighbourhoods.
Most of the bikes were confiscated from what the force describes as a bicycle chop shop. Three of the bikes have been returned to their rightful owners, with the rest going to the 529 Garage Registry.
You’re reminded to always report stolen bicycles with the appropriate serial number to ensure that if it’s found, it is returned to you. You can find out more about that during an event at Bank and Laurier from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm Saturday.
Kanata Crash:
Three people are in critical condition in hospital following a serious collision in Kanata.
Emergency crews say two vehicles crashed on Terry Fox Drive, near Huntsville Drive, over the noon hour Friday. Fire crews had to extricate the three injured people from their vehicles as a result.
Wolastoqey Applaud New Brunswick Politician:
The chiefs of the Wolastoqey Nation are applauding Jake Stewart, the Indigenous Affairs minister in New Brunswick, for breaking with his government’s line in calling for a public inquiry into systemic racism in the province.
Stewart has spoken in favour of an Indigenous-led independent investigation since the police shooting of Chantel Moore, breaking ranks with Premier Blaine Higgs. Click here for more on this story.