Coronavirus Update: Hospital, ICU visits drop as cases become less severe in Canada

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

Top headlines:

1. Rate of COVID-19 patients being hospitalized or visiting the ICU has dropped since start of the pandemic
2. Florida records 10,000 cases in one day as cases rise in 37 U.S. states.
3. Anthony Fauci says vaccines to enter late-stage trial by end of July

In Canada, 104,771 cases have been reported. In the last week 2,149 new cases were announced, 11 per cent fewer than the previous week. There have also been 68,347 recoveries and 8,642 deaths. Health officials have administered 3,001,298 tests.

Worldwide, 10,475,826 cases confirmed and 511,253 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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10 per cent

COVID-19 cases in Canada are becoming less severe, with a lower rate of patients needing hospital care or mechanical ventilation.

From June 17 to 23, 10 per cent of people with COVID-19 were admitted to hospital, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. That figure has been 15 per cent since the start of the pandemic.

• In the same period, intensive care unit admissions were 17 per cent, compared with 20 per cent since the start of the pandemic.
• Last week, just 2 per cent of patients in hospital needed mechanical ventilation, compared with 4 per cent since the start of the pandemic.

Coronavirus in Canada

• After Nova Scotia reported its third new case this week, the Premier restated the importance of following health directives, including self-isolating when arriving in the province. Starting tomorrow, travel restrictions in the Atlantic region will be lifted, allowing those four provinces to form a “bubble.”
• The Premier of Ontario accused migrant farm workers of “hiding” from coronavirus testing in the Windsor, Ont., region, which is struggling with outbreaks on farms. The province is investigating 17 temporary recruitment agencies, after officials warned that agencies that move workers between farm could be contributing to outbreaks.
• Quebec reported 69 new cases and 14 deaths.
• Nunavut reported its first presumptive case.

In Ottawa, the government extended the period of mandatory quarantine for most people entering to country until Aug. 31.

• The order, made under the Quarantine Act,, has penalties that include six months in prison or a fine of up to $750,000.
• Travellers must now wear masks while they are entering the country or are in transit to the place where they will isolate.

COVID-19 and care: While experts say the work of caregivers has been undersupported and undervalued for years, the effect of the pandemic is hitting some of Canada’s eight million unpaid caregivers especially hard.

Coronavirus around the world

• New infections were rising in 37 U.S. states in the past 14 days compared with the two weeks prior in early June, new data shows. Florida, among the states hardest hit by the June surge, reported more than 10,000 new cases today. The U.S. top infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, said vaccine candidates will enter late-stage clinical studies by the end of the month, with others beginning in August, September and October.
• Travellers to Switzerland from 29 countries, including the U.S., Sweden and Brazil, will from July 6 have to register with the authorities and go into self-isolation upon arriving.
• Up to 60 per cent of the usual capacity will be allowed inside the Roland Garros grounds for the 2020 edition of the French Open, which begins in mid-September, organizers said.

Coronavirus and business

Canada’s trade deficit shrank dramatically in May, but trade flows remained far below normal.

• Statistics Canada reported the merchandise trade deficit declined to $677-million in May from a revised $4.27-billion in April, as exports rebounded 6.7 per cent.
• Total May trade remained nearly 30 per cent below prepandemic levels.
• Experts caution that with the health crisis far from over, international trade looks likely to remain held back from returning to normal levels for many months to come.
• The recovery will be choppy and uneven, they said, as containment efforts continue to disrupt normal trade flows and supply chains.

Rob Carrick: There is an unprecedented amount of financial support available for students in the 2020-21 academic year.

Globe opinion

Kelly Cyderman: “Alberta’s near-term economic future looks a bit less dire to Jason Kenney than it did in March and April. At the height of the pandemic lockdowns, the Alberta Premier warned his province was headed for a collective experience ‘unlike any we have seen’ save for the droughts and grasshopper plagues of the Great Depression.”

Neil Orford: “That contagious diseases tend to cluster is hardly a new observation; viruses travel along transportation networks, but the footprints of the resulting epidemics and pandemics are linked to political, social and economic factors.”

More reporting

• Trump says he thinks ‘masks are good’ after long resisting wearing one in public
• As Canada begins to emerge from lockdown, cars are increasingly essential to the safe enjoyment of everyday life. Here’s what that looks like at drive-in theatres and the zoo
• Herman Cain, 2012 Republican presidential candidate, hospitalized with coronavirus
• A new report suggests NFL fans may have to sign a waiver to attend games, if they are allowed at all
• Organizers for the French Open say they will allow up to 60 per cent of usual fan capacity
• Here are five Canadian businesses that are making the bold move to open mid-pandemic

Distractions

For the sitter: Should I use an exercise ball instead of my office chair?

• Excessive sitting can result in bad posture, muscle imbalances, stiffness and lack of circulation. Sitting on a ball can help to improve posture and body awareness, especially if you are a stability ball newbie.
• Unfortunately, once your body gets used to the instability of the ball or cushion, you will find ways to cheat. Your posture will probably slowly return.
• Plus, sitting on a ball is still sitting. The best tip would be to get up as often as possible to stretch and walk around. Set an alarm to remind you to check your posture, drink water and, when possible, walk around and stretch.

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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