Coronavirus Update: Front-line workers miss their families, but must prepare for COVID-19′s peak

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

Top headlines

1. In Canada’s coronavirus fight, front-line workers miss their families, fear the worst and hope they’re ready
2. Canada won’t retaliate against U.S. ban on medical supplies exports: PM
3. Ottawa pursues oilpatch bailout as Monday OPEC meeting ‘canceled’: Trudeau

Have questions about the coronavirus? Email audience@globeandmail.com. The Globe’s paywall has been removed on coronavirus news stories.

Number of the day

18 per cent

Stephen Brown, senior Canada economist at Capital Economics, points out that 18 per cent of the 13,330 Canadian restaurants that replied to a recent survey indicated they were likely to go out of business this month.

In many countries, including Canada, the United States, Germany and Britain, policy makers have launched massive stimulus programs to help sustain economies under attack from the novel coronavirus. The question now, is can the world afford it?

What it means: If the imploding restaurant business is any gauge, Canada’s economy may be in need of even more support, and all the government debt that implies.

Coronavirus in Canada

13,872 cases confirmed in Canada; with 2,697 recoveries and 228 deaths reported.

• Ontario reports 27 more coronavirus deaths, Quebec reports 14, health authorities said on Saturday.
• B.C.’s health officer says a decrease in COVID cases ‘heartening’ and indicates the curve is flattening
• Alberta enlists a non-traditional team of medical students, nurses and others to aid with tracking COVID-19
• Calgary’s ban on public events until June 30 includes NHL and CFL games even if those leagues resume play before then, the city’s mayor said Friday.
• In Vancouver, West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. says it is cutting production further amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says Trump’s order to 3M to stop shipping protective masks to Canada is “nothing short of a betrayal.”

Also in Canada

• A new policy that has pharmacists restricting patients to a 30-day supply of their medications means some people are having to pay dispensing fees two or three times.
• Families are facing a tough call over removing loved ones from long-term care. More than half of all COVID-19 deaths in Canada have been among residents of seniors’ homes, according to Theresa Tam, the country’s Chief Public Health Officer.

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Coronavirus around the world

1,171,082 cases confirmed around the world; with 238,129 recoveries and 63,845 deaths reported.

• New York reels as 630 die in the last 24 horurs, the state’s bleakest toll yet
• India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this week the country will pull out of the planned three-week lockdown in a phased manner.
• Embattled Chilean President Sebastian Pinera sparked outrage by posing for photographs at the plaza that was the centre of anti-government protests before it was put under quarantine to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
• Every year, the world contends with devastating typhoons, wildfires, tsunamis and earthquakes. What has changed for the worse, is the ability of nations to prepare for and respond to natural disasters

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Have you had to self-quarantine because of the coronavirus? We’d like to hear your story. Email: tips@globeandmail.com

Reader question

Question: What rules are the same everywhere?

Answer: All of the country’s top public health officials have urged Canadians to avoid going out unless absolutely necessary for grocery runs, exercise or medical emergencies. When you do go outside, stay at a distance of two metres (about the length of a hockey stick) from other people. If you’re travelling between cities by air or rail, make sure you’re feeling okay first. Airlines and railways are screening travellers for COVID-19 symptoms, refusing passage to those who have them. The most essential businesses remain open, but this list is different province by province.

To learn about the rules in your province and to compare to others, The Globe has compiled a quick guide to what’s allowed and open, or closed and banned.

The Globe’s health columnist André Picard answered additional reader questions. Need more answers? Email audience@globeandmail.com

More Globe reporting and opinion:

• Ferrets, hamsters will soon reveal whether Canadian vaccine bid has a shot
• At Empire’s stores, which include Sobeys, Freshco, Safeway and other grocery banners, staff will walk around to remind shoppers to give each other space and to follow the arrows.
• Some Universities are turning to a pass/fail system as the pandemic derails the academic year and students ask for compassionate grading schemes.
• Six asylum seekers have been prevented from entering Canada at an unofficial entry point along the border with the United States since the government started turning people away over concerns about the spread of COVID-19 two weeks ago.
• Ai Weiwei: “The most fundamental humanist understanding is that life and death co-exist, and the attitudes necessary to reach such an understanding are tolerance, empathy, recognition of suffering and willingness to help others.”
• R.M. Vaughan: “Atlantic Canadian culture is fragile and will always be imperilled by larger, more moneyed cultures. Now the virus is the threat.”
• Lawrence Martin: “Canadians do not wish any harm to Americans. But the great majority of them would love to see them change their government in November.”
• Mark Kingwell: “Boredom is the telling symptom, not the disease. My grandmother used to say, about human travails, that “worse things happen at sea.” These days, we’re all in the same drifting boat.”

An act of kindness

Have you witnessed or performed acts of kindness in your neighbourhood? Share your stories, photos and videos and they might be included in The Globe and Mail. Email audience@globeandmail.com

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Suddenly, homemade masks are a booming cottage industry

Marlena Kaesler had seen how quickly the new coronavirus was spreading in Italy, she said, and knew she wanted to do something to help prevent the same outcome in Canada. People across Canada are coming together to make homemade masks and other personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and vulnerable communities. A group named Canada Sews is also helping make and deliver masks to people in need where ever it is asked.

Distractions

Here are some recommendations for what to read, watch and activities to do.

To put the social back in distancing:

• Online dance parties are a way of building community and reviving clubbing
• Journaling is helpful during times of uncertainty, especially for children
• Here’s how to socialize with online cocktail and dinner parties

Information centre:

• How many coronavirus cases are there in Canada? The latest maps and charts.
• Coronavirus guide: The latest news on COVID-19 and the toll it’s taking around the world
• Here’s what you should do if you are newly laid off; how to apply for EI and other financial benefits; and other coronavirus and employment questions answered.
• How to minimize 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.
• How to get social distancing right; measures condo buildings are taking to encourage social distancing; and what you can do to help slow the spread of coronavirus.
• Here are the essentials to stock up on; the best pantry staples; foods to eat to maintain an immune system-friendly diet; and how to keep a healthy diet while working from home.
• How to break a bad habit (like touching your face) and what to do if you think you have the virus.

What are we missing? Email us: audience@globeandmail.com

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