ontario Ontario reports record-high 1,855 new COVID-19 cases Province reported 58,000 tests Friday, also a record high. Ontario reported a record-high 1,855 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, with officials saying it will be at least two weeks before lockdowns imposed in Toronto and Peel Region have any tangible effect on the province's case numbers. "There's been a lot of celebrations over the past couple of weeks," Premier Doug Ford said, a message echoed by Health Minister Christine Elliott, who said a rise in cases was expected at this point. Speaking to reporters Friday, Ford also called on the federal government to provide more clarity around when Ontario can expect to receive vaccines — something he said will be key for retired general Rick Hillier, who is leading the provincial vaccine rollout taskforce, with a paycheque of $20,000 per month plus expenses.

412k 412,000 Missing Deaths: Tracking the True Toll of the Coronavirus Outbreak At least 412,000 more people have died during the coronavirus pandemic than the official Covid-19 death counts report, a review of mortality data in 35 countries shows — providing a clearer, if still incomplete, picture of the toll of the crisis. Over the last several months, far more people have died in most of these countries than in previous years, The New York Times found. The totals include deaths from Covid-19 as well as those from other causes, likely including people who could not be treated as hospitals became overwhelmed. These numbers undermine the notion that many people who have died from the virus may soon have died anyway.