Coronavirus Update: Air Canada cutting 30 domestic routes and closing operations at eight regional airports

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

Top headlines:

1. Air Canada cutting 30 domestic routes and closing operations at eight airports due to weakened demand; will resume selling adjacent seats on flights.
2. Canada in, U.S. out of European Union’s “safe” list of permitted travellers
3. Toronto to make face masks mandatory in enclosed public spaces
4. Ottawa extends ban on most foreign travellers entering Canada until at least July 31

In Canada, 104,192 cases have been reported. In the last week 2,229 new cases were announced, more than 11% fewer than the previous week. There have also been 67,579 recoveries and 8,591 deaths. Health officials have administered 2,912,865 tests.

Worldwide, 10,302,052 cases have been confirmed and 505,505 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

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Number of the day

11.6%

In April, Canada’s GDP dropped 11.6 per cent – the biggest one-month downturn on record. In March, the GDP fell 7.5 per cent in March.

• Food-services sector plunged 42 per cent in April, while manufacturing dropped 22.5 per cent. Both construction and retail were down 23 per cent.
• BMO’s chief economist said there are “plenty of signs” that April will mark the nadir of the economic downturn.
• Statistics Canada said its preliminary data suggest that the economy grew by about 3 per cent in May.

However, A CIBC economist noted that even with positive news in May, the economy is still 16 per cent down from February.

Coronavirus in Canada

• Starting July 13, face masks will be mandatory on public transit in Quebec. Police will not enforce the rule, or issue fines. Instead, public transit employees will be responsible for enforcing the directive.
• In Alberta, up to 200 people may now congregate for outdoor events, such as festivals or sporting events. The cap for personalized outdoor gatherings, such as weddings, remains at 100.
• The government in Manitoba now forecasts its pandemic deficit could reach $2.9-billion – down from a $5-billion estimate in March.
• Saskatchewan’s 2019-20 year ended with a $319-million deficit, because of falling oil prices and the pandemic.
• Nova Scotia is launching a review at Northwood, the care facility where 53 people died from COVID-19, in a bid to help facilities prevent future outbreaks.
• Ontario reported 157 new cases today and seven new deaths. The organization representing the province’s child-care providers says the government hasn’t done enough to help them bounce back; Toronto will make make face masks mandatory in indoor public spaces.

In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he will scale back his daily press conferences to a few times a week. Updates from Dr. Theresa Tam and her deputy, Dr. Howard Njoo, will also be scaled back.

Also today: The government announced the tight rules barring most foreign travellers from entering Canada will remain in place until July 31

The restrictions – which keep non-U.S. travellers from entering Canada – were set to expire tonight at midnight.

Entry to Canada from the U.S. is covered by a separate order in effect until July 21.

Coronavirus around the world

• The U.S. government’s top infectious diseases expert warned that unless Americans wear masks and recommit to social distancing, the daily increase in new cases nationwide, currently around 40,000, could reach 100,000
• European Union announced Tuesday that it will reopen its borders to travellers from 14 countries, including Canada. The U.S. was not included on this “safe” list of countries.
• The U.S. preorder of 300 million doses of a possible vaccine has African countries worried they’ll fall victim to “vaccine nationalism” in wealthier nations.
• Watch: Life is returning back to normal in Wuhan, six months after China first reported cases of “viral pneumonia” to the World Health Organization.

Coronavirus and business

Air Canada will cut 30 domestic routes and close operations at eight regional airports. The airline has laid off 20,000 people – more than half its staff.

• The “structural changes” to the company’s domestic network are the result of weak demand, and strict health measures, the airliner said.
• Previously, the CEO told shareholders the government needs to ease travel restrictions to help airliners.

And: Health officials in British Columbia want evidence that removing in-flight distancing measures is safe. Starting tomorrow, Air Canada will resume selling the middle seat on flights.

Globe opinion

• Robyn Urback: “Ontario appears to be again walking into a contagion disaster – this time, among migrant workers on farms across the province.”
• Goldy Hyder and William Robson: “The beginning of summer has brought welcome news about Canada’s economy and Canadians’ prospects after a spring devastated by COVID-19. Measures of activity and confidence, even numbers of jobs, are up from the lows of March and April. But we still have a long way to go.”

More reporting

• Couche-Tard says shopping habits have changed as consumers stockpile during coronavirus pandemic [For subscribers]
• 2020 CP Women’s Open cancelled due to travel restrictions
• Colorado Rockies outfielder Ian Desmond will sit out the upcoming MLB season, calling it ‘a risk I am not comfortable taking’

Distractions

🎧 For the Leonard Cohen fan: Dancers and musicians from nine arts organizations put a spin on Leonard Cohen’s Anthem, an iconic song about looking for hope in the darkness

• In celebration of Canadian culture and Canada Day, The Globe and Mail and nine leading arts organizations have produced a video that will honour this country’s dance companies and the Leonard Cohen song Anthem.
• The Toronto Symphony Orchestra developed and performs an original arrangement of the song, which will be sung by members of the Canadian Opera Company.
• Participating dance companies that contributed outdoor pieces represent Canada’s vast geography and diversity: the Atlantic Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, The National Ballet of Canada, Red Sky Performance, Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers, the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and Ballet BC.

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.

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