Coronavirus Update: Most of Ontario to move into Stage 3 of reopening on Friday

Good evening, here are the coronavirus updates you need to know tonight.

Top headlines:

1. Most of Ontario, excluding Toronto area, to move into Stage 3 on Friday
2. Trudeau says federal wage subsidy for businesses to be extended until at least December
3. Canada-U.S. border to remain closed to non-essential travel until at least Aug. 21, sources say

In Canada, there have been at least 108,091 cases reported. In the last week 2,157 new cases were announced, 4 per cent fewer than the previous week. There have also been at least 71,802 recoveries and 8,788 deaths. Health officials have administered more than 3,430,133 tests.

Worldwide, there have been at least 12,910,357 cases confirmed and 569,128 deaths reported.

Sources: Canada data is compiled from government websites, Johns Hopkins and COVID-19 Canada Open Data Working Group; international data is from Johns Hopkins University.

Coronavirus explainers: Updates and essential resources • Coronavirus in maps and charts • Lockdown rules and reopening plans in each province

Photo of the day

Open this photo in gallery:

Number of the day

83

More than 80 of the world’s super-rich signed an open letter calling for a permanent wealth tax to fund COVID-19 relief efforts.

• “Unlike tens of millions of people around the world, we do not have to worry about losing our jobs, our homes, or our ability to support our families,” the group said.
• The group of super-rich said they owe a “huge debt” to the world’s essential workers who are “grossly underpaid.”

The global economy is predicted to shrink as much as 3.6 per cent this year. The fallout of the health crisis could increase global poverty by 8 per cent, and push as many as 130 million people into chronic hunger.

Coronavirus in Canada

• Most of Ontario – but not Toronto, Peel or Windsor – will enter Stage 3 of reopening this Friday, allowing restaurants, gyms and playgrounds to reopen, and the size of gatherings to increase. On Sunday, 129 new cases and three addition deaths were reported.
• In British Columbia, the Nuu-chah-nulth, the Heiltsuk Nation and the Haida Nation will keep their borders closed to tourists and non-residents, despite the economic impact. “Our directors have said, our chiefs have said, people before economics,” one leader said.
• A health care worker in Prince Edward Island tested positive, the province’s eighth new case in the past week.

In Ottawa, the government announced an extension to the federal wage-subsidy program to December.

• As of July 6, the program had paid out $18.01-billion to 252,370 companies.
• Last week’s economic update increased the program’s budget to $82.3-billion.
• Initially, the program was a key tool in helping cushion the economic blow of COVID-19, but the program’s budget fell as more workers accessed the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.
• Last week, the finance minister suggested the government aims to shift people from CERB to the wage program.

“We need to reduce disincentives to growth,” Finance Minister Bill Morneau said last week. “We need to make sure the subsidy is appropriate for the challenges facing enterprises in actually rehiring and getting people back to work.”

Also today: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologized for not recusing himself during the cabinet decision to give WE Charity the now-cancelled contract to administer a $900-million student grant program.

COVID-19 and migrant workers: The federal government didn’t enforce rules for employers of migrant farm workers during the pandemic.

Coronavirus around the world

• Watch: Global coronavirus cases climbed above 13 million today, and the WHO has warned the pandemic will worsen if countries fail to adhere to strict health care precautions.
• More than 200 American universities are backing a legal challenge a new Trump administration restriction which says international students cannot stay in the U.S. if they take all their classes online this fall.
• Thousands of Italians have died after contracting COVID-19, and grieving families have come together virtually to demand government accountability for the virus’s quick spread in the country.
• Disney announced it will close its Hong Kong Disneyland theme park from July 15 amid rising coronavirus cases in the Chinese-ruled city, the company said.

Coronavirus and business

Four of Canada’s banks are collecting hundreds of millions of dollars in fees to help dole out the U.S. government aid to small businesses, sums that dwarf more modest compensation paid to banks by the Canadian government for a similar pandemic relief program.

• Major Canadian banks’ U.S. subsidiaries are among thousands of lenders extending loans through the Paycheck Protection Program, launched by the U.S. Small Business Administration to funnel as much as US$660-billion to businesses.
• To get credit flowing quickly, the U.S. government offers banks generous processing fees of up to 5 per cent to banks that administer the loans.

U.S. banks have collectively loaned out at least US$520-billion through the PPP so far, and Toronto-Dominion Bank has been the most active Canadian lender among them. Its U.S. arm, TD Bank, has already racked up processing fees that could range from US$238-million to US$398-million this year.

The total cost recovery fees earned so far by all Canadian banks and credit unions that have helped distribute 690,000 small-business loans worth $27.6-billion through the Canada Emergency Business Account could add up to a maximum of $110-million.

Globe opinion

• Andre Picard: “Now the ubiquity of beer, wine and spirits in our daily lives has become another twist in the COVID-19 story. First, governments deemed liquor and beer stores to be essential services.”
• Robert Rotberg: “Blinded by their love for themselves, presidents Jair Bolsonaro and Donald Trump have derided science and let COVID-19 cause thousands of unnecessary deaths across Brazil and the United States.”
• Michael Pal: “Is it possible to safely run an election during a pandemic? That’s the question now faced by democracies around the world due to COVID-19 – and countries are tackling it with mixed results.”

More reporting

• Sentries return to Ottawa’s National War Memorial as COVID-19 risk deemed to be low
• Will COVID-19 eventually become like the annual flu?
• What can snowbirds do with their U.S. vacation property during the pandemic?
• ‘God Pod’ helps churchgoers to connect despite dangers of COVID-19

Distractions

For the summer cook: How do I make the perfect summer salad?

• Use different combinations of lettuce and other ingredients, and add a dressing that enhances but does not drown the greens.
• Each week, try making a batch of salad dressing to keep in the fridge. Here’s what you need to know about each type of vinegar, and the most nutritious lettuce, or opt for this asparagus salad with arugula.

And: What is the best time to eat dinner for your metabolism?

Information centre

• Pandemic personal finance: Rob Carrick’s 10-point checklist of things you should have done by now to protect or improve your money situation. Tips for minimizing damage to your credit score; how to manage retirement anxiety during difficult times; and things to think about if you’re considering home delivery.
• Here are the expectations for self-isolation; tips for managing anxiety and protecting your mental health; and what to do if you think you have the virus, and what you can do to help slow the spread of coronavirus. How to break a bad habit (like touching your face).
• The best foods to eat to maintain an immune system-friendly diet; and how to keep a healthy diet while working from home; four eating tips when working from home; and five mistakes that might cause you to gain unwanted weight. Here are the essentials to stock up on and how to shop safely for groceries; the best pantry staples and how to stop stress-eating. What to cook with rhubarb (aside from pie).
• Here’s what you should do if you are newly laid off; how to apply for CERB, EI, and other financial benefits; how the CRA might identify CERB fraud; and other coronavirus and employment questions answered. What to do if your employees don’t return to work because they want to collect CERB.

What are we missing? Email us: audience@globeandmail.com. Do you know someone who needs this newsletter? Send them to our Newsletters page.