Coronavirus Update: Corrected public-health agency data finds that people under 40 account for 12 per cent of hospitalized cases

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

Top headlines

1. Canadians with COVID-19 symptoms banned from domestic flights, inter-city trains, Trudeau says
2. Federal government working to get hundreds of Canadians stranded on virus-infected cruise ship home
3. Ottawa working on plans to serve those who need Service Canada help but can’t apply online themselves

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

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Number of the day

12 per cent

Late on Saturday night, the Public Health Agency of Canada issued a statement that 12 per cent of hospitalized cases of COVID-19 is a patient younger than 40 years old.

This corrected a statement earlier on Saturday from Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam, who had said the number was 30 per cent.

Regardless, despite the belief that COVID-19 only seriously affects the elderly, younger Canadians continue to experience severe cases of COVID-19 that require hospitalization.

• Also included in the updated and corrected report: Approximately 13 per cent of people with COVID-19 require hospitalization; three per cent become critically ill; and one per cent of cases are fatal.

The data is based on Friday numbers as of 10 a.m. E.T.

Coronavirus in Canada

5,428 cases in Canada reported; with 354 recoveries and 59 deaths.

• In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford says he’s looking to reduce the maximum number of people allowed to gather from 50 to five as the province deals with another 151 cases of COVID-19. The change could come into effect later Saturday.
• The Quebec government is moving to protect some of the province’s more remote regions from the spread of COVID-19 by setting up checkpoints to block non-essential travel.
• Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said Friday that the federal government does not recommend that First Nations proceed with elections during the coronavirus crisis.
• At Caul’s Funeral Home in Newfoundland, it’s believed the virus was spread by an infected person who had just returned from out of province and attended the funeral of a 78-year-old St. John’s man.
• British Columbia should have enough hospital beds and ventilators to cope with the surge in COVID-19 patients that has overwhelmed hospitals in Italy.

Coronavirus around the world

641,232: cases confirmed around the world; with 137,279 recoveries and 20,851 deaths reported.

• In The U.S., President Donald Trump said he was considering a quarantine as early as Saturday for coronavirus hotspots in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, though it wasn’t clear whether he had the power to order state residents to stay put.
• Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Saturday announced stricter lockdown measures that will force all non-essential workers to stay at home for the next two weeks, as the government reported 832 new coronavirus deaths overnight.
• When asked if Britain was on the same trajectory as Italy, where the death toll has passed 9,000, Stephen Powis, the medical director of National Health Service England, said that if the public adhered to the nationwide lockdown the total toll could be kept below 20,000.

Reader question

Question: There are thousands of coronavirus cases, but few people are listed as “recovered.” Why?

Answer: To be considered recovered, you must have a positive test, complete 14 days in isolation, then undergo two more tests, at least 24 hours apart, both of which must be negative.

While it may feel like this pandemic has been going on for a long time, few people have actually spent two weeks in isolation. Because there has been a shortage of tests, retesting patients has not been a priority.

The Globe’s health columnist André Picard answered other reader questions.

Need more answers? Email audience@globeandmail.com

More Globe reporting and opinion:

• How big data, population health and other scientists are trying to map COVID-19 in the community. In the absence of mass public testing, researchers, innovators and anyone else are looking to beat back the unknown.
• At least two places in Ontario have stopped providing medical assistance in dying because of the coronavirus pandemic.
• As provincial governments and school boards grapple with how to finish off the academic year, many are telling teachers to hold off on contacting students until they have a learning plan in place. But some teachers say that following that direction hasn’t been easy.
• Margaret Atwood: “Any child growing up in Canada in the 1940s, at a time before there were vaccines for a horde of deadly diseases, was familiar with quarantine signs.”
• Rosemary McCarney: “COVID-19 is reminding us of the limits of traditional borders when the intruder is an invisible and deadly virus.”
• Jeff Booth: You wonder how more debt could be used to solve a problem that was created by debt in the first place. Wouldn’t that delay the inevitable and make the whole system even more fragile?"
• David Naylor and Tim Evans: “As of today, there is no plan to determine levels of immunity to COVID-19 in Canada. So what is to be done?”

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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Rumble House’s artistic free-for-alls goes online

Every Wednesday Rich and Jessica Theroux’s Rumble House, an art studio and gallery space, hosts what they call a two-hour art rumble.

Anyone from students, people who are homeless, and politicians make art together, in any medium – anything goes. Then follows an auction of the pieces. Both events – free and open to all – have become a mainstay for a diverse group of Calgarians.

Now, as the response to the COVID-19 outbreak includes limits on mass gatherings and recommendations to stay home, Mr. Theroux and Ms. Theroux are striving to keep the Rumble House community going online. Through broadcasting art making and hosting an online auction, the couple have found a creative way to continue providing weekly respite to their community.

Distractions

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

For the parents and families:

• Trying to create a schedule for your children gives a sense of structure and reduces anxiety.
• Globe staffers offer advice to keep the kids busy, plus an expert, books and streaming recommendations
• Strategies on how to parent through times of crisis, starting with lowering your standards
• Missing sports entertainment? The Globe brings you a computer-simulated tournament involving four of the greatest Canadian teams in history.

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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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