The region served by the Eastern Ontario Health Unit will revert from Yellow to Orange status under the province's COVID-19 framework. And the Orange label will remain for at least the next month.

Based on the latest data, the Orange designation, which denotes stricter restrictions than the Yellow code, the level change will take effect December 14.

For long-term care homes, visitor restrictions apply to those homes in the public health unit regions that are in the Orange-Restrict level or higher. In addition, long-term care homes must implement recently enhanced testing requirements.

Trends in public health data will continue to be reviewed weekly to determine if public health units should stay where they are or be moved into a different level.

Public health units will stay in their level for a minimum of 28 days, or two COVID-19 incubation periods, at which time, the government will assess the impact of public health measures to determine if the public health unit should stay where they are or be moved to a different level. The government and the Chief Medical Officer of Health will continue to consult regularly with local medical officers of health on local context and conditions to help inform the classification of their public health unit region.

More COVID-19 cases have been reported in area schools.

Individuals at Glengarry District High School, La Source in Moose Creek, Holy Trinity Catholic high school in South Glengarry, Tagwi Secondary School in Avonmore, and at Laggan Public School have tested positive, according to the Eastern Ontario Health Unit.

A $100,000 lottery ticket, which was sold in rural Eastern Ontario, remains unclaimed.

There are two weeks left to claims the Encore Lotto Max prize from the December 24, 2019 draw.

The winning numbers were 1 – 9 – 3 – 2 – 8 – 5 – 0.

The owner(s) of this ticket should fill in the back portion, sign it and contact the OLG Support Centre at 1-800-387-0098.

Former bar destroyed

A one-time favourite watering hole in Dalhousie Station, Chez Paul later known as the Pit Stop, was destroyed by fire Wednesday. Nobody was injured in the flames that consumed the recently renovated residence.

Stéphane Brunet photo

The number of active cases in the region served by the Eastern Ontario Health Unit has risen by 39 since Tuesday, bringing the total to 260. 

The biggest spike was reported in Cornwall, where 31 new cases have been recorded between December 8 and 9, according to the health unit.

Eight patients have been hospitalized. None is intensive care.

Plus, resilience, letters, accolades

The News of December 2 also has letters, sports and good causes.

A case of COVID-19 has been detected Tagwi Secondary School in Avonmore.

The Eastern Ontario Health Unit is working closely with the school and is actively communicating with all individuals who have been identified as possible close contacts through high-risk exposures, says the Upper Canada District School Board. Both the school and health unit are taking all necessary steps to prevent the further spread of the virus in the school and in the community. 

No change to the school schedule or daily operations are required.

The driver of this tractor was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after the tractor flipped when it collided with a truck on Concession 8 near Green Valley earlier today

A huge loss, food and toy campaign, we're Yellow again

A fire has destroyed a building at the XL Wood Products plant south of Green Valley. Firefighters are battling the blaze which began at around 4 p.m.

The Eastern Ontario Heath Unit region is now "Orange restrict" under the Ontario government's COVID-19 response framework, after being labelled "Yellow-protect" last week.

The designation, meaning that stricter measures will be implemented in our region, was changed despite a decrease in active cases in the EOHU jurisdiction.

"These adjustments are necessary to respond to the latest evidence we're seeing and we are prepared to make further adjustments as the health experts continue to review the current public health restrictions. We must do whatever it takes to stop our hospitals from being overwhelmed and protect our most vulnerable," said Premier Doug Ford.

The latest modelling shows that if the number of new cases continues to grow at its current rate, the province could register up to 6,500 new cases per day by mid-December. Within the next two weeks the province will likely exceed its intensive care threshold of 150 beds, under any potential scenario.

The framework changes are in response to the current data and trends, and will lower the threshold for each of the five levels for: weekly incidence rates, positivity rate, effective reproductive number (Rt), outbreak trends and the level of community transmission.

Here is a summary of guidelines for the Orange zone.

General public health measures (gatherings, workplace requirements and face coverings)

• Events and social gatherings
  • 10 people indoors
  • 25 people outdoors
• Organized public events and gatherings:
  • 50 people indoors
  • 100 people outdoors
• Religious services, weddings and funerals:
  • 30% capacity indoors
  • 100 people outdoors
• Requirement for workplace screening
• Face coverings required in:
  • indoor workplaces
  • indoor public spaces, with limited exemptions
• Where patrons without face coverings are within two metres of workers, workers must use additional protections such as eye protection
• Workplaces must develop and implement a communication/public education plan (highlighting risk)
• Physical distancing must be maintained
• Non-essential travel from areas of high-transmission to areas of low transmission should be avoided

There are some encouraging numbers on the COVID-19 front.

The number of active cases in the region served by the Eastern Ontario Health Unit dropped by 17, to 152, between Thursday and Friday.

There are now 15 active cases in Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry, a drop of two cases since yesterday.

Cornwall has 54, six less than Thursday, while Prescott-Russell has 74, nine less than yesterday, and the northern portion of Akwesasne has nine cases, unchanged from Thursday.

In The News of November 11, we meet a war veteran, chronicle the ordeal faced by a Nazi work camp survivor, recount the memories of a proud family, update the COVID-19 pandemic, and serve up a wide range of views.

Two people were seriously injured, and a horse killed, when a truck struck a horse-pulled buggy on Fairview Driver in Avonmore shortly after 4 p.m. November 4.

A passenger vehicle was travelling westbound on Fairview Drive when, for reasons under investigation, struck a buggy being pulled by two horses.

Two passengers on the buggy were taken to hospital with serious non-life threatening injuries. The two horses suffered serious injuries in the collision; one has died, reports the Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry Ontario Provincial Police detachment.

The News of November 4 has fire, warnings, a COVID-19 update, a look back at The Great War, and much more.