Good evening, here are the coronavirus updates you need to know tonight.
Top headlines:
1. Family members and advocates wonder what role neglect played in the deaths of Canada’s isolated long-term care residents
2. Sweden’s top doctor says country’s hands-off approach to the pandemic resulted in excessive deaths
3. Growing number of migrant workers test positive for virus on Ontario farms
In Canada, 93,063 cases have been reported, more than double the number from 39 days ago. There have also been 51,034 recoveries and 7,497 deaths. Health officials have administered 1,842,511 tests.
Worldwide, 6,388,548 cases have been confirmed; with 2,770,677 recoveries and 383,147 deaths.
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
Number of the day
0.25 per cent
The Bank of Canada left its key interest rate unchanged at 0.25 per cent, stating again it considers that figure the “effective” bottom rate. The bank cut the rate three times in March, for a total 1.5 percentage points.
- The bank also indicated it thinks the pandemic-related economic downturn “appears to have peaked," while uncertainty about the country’s recovery remains.
- The bank said it will turn its focus to "supporting the resumption of growth in output and employment,” it said.
Coronavirus in Canada
There are currently at least 2,022 hospitalized cases, a 13 per cent drop from a week ago. Of those, 302 are in intensive care.
- More than 240 migrant workers have tested positive in at least five Ontario farms.
- Millions of masks that British Columbia purchased from a manufacturer in China have been approved, making them available for health workers, the government said.
- Nova Scotia’s largest nursing home will increase its number of private rooms in preparation for a possible second COVID-19 wave.
- An Alberta couple stranded in India because of the pandemic were killed last week, their family says.
- Manitoba might expand some of its pandemic relief efforts.
In Ottawa, the government said non-medical masks will be required by workers on planes, trains, ships and transit.
Long-term care: When visitors were banned from nursing homes, the protective measure limited an essential support system and inadvertently created a feeding crisis.
- Some patients died of dehydration, while others were underfed because of dropping staffing levels.
Families and advocates are calling for Ontario to loosen restrictions, and allow family members to return to the care facilities. Quebec and British Columbia now allow visitors to help with essential care.
And: Advocates are calling on Ottawa to negotiate an agreement with provincial governments to deliver funds for long-term care homes before the next wave of COVID-19.
Coronavirus around the world
Sweden’s top epidemiologist, who was the architect of the country’s avoidance of strict lockdowns to combat coronavirus, said his strategy has possibly caused more deaths than intended. “If we were to run into the same disease, knowing exactly what we know about it today, I think we would end up doing something in between what Sweden did and what the rest of the world has done,” Anders Tegnell said.
Watch: Coronavirus infections may have subsided in Europe, but in Latin American countries such as Brazil and Peru, the struggle to contain the outbreak is as tough as ever.
The World Health Organization is set to resume its trial of hydroxychloroquine for potential use against the new coronavirus, its head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday, after testing was suspended because of health concerns.
Watch: Britain and Germany announced changes to travel rules. Britain will introduce a 14-day quarantine for all incoming travellers while Germany has eased travel restrictions.
Coronavirus and business
Home sales in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary rebounded in May, after collapsing in April, though they were still well below levels over most of the past year.
- In Toronto: Sales were up up 53 per cent since April, but down 54 per cent compared to the same month last year.
- In Vancouver: Sales were up 34 per cent from April, but 44 per cent lower compared to the same month last year.
“Don’t be fooled by May’s large percentage gains," said one economist. "They will reverse only part of the huge declines in March and April. Activity in both markets is still running well below normal.”
Question and answer
Question: When will we be able to say coronavirus is “over”?
Answer: The World Health Organization declared coronavirus to be a pandemic on March 15. At some point – and that could be a couple of years from now – it will be declared “over.” This happens essentially when a disease has run its course and there are only sporadic cases or no cases, or when the disease becomes endemic.
The Globe’s health columnist André Picard answered more reader questions on masks, the second wave, and Canada’s testing strategy.
An act of kindness
Karen Johnson wasn’t prepared for all the poop the ducklings would bring into her life. But it’s been worth it.
A week ago, Ms. Johnson – in an attempt to give her two teenage daughters some pandemic distraction – drove more than an hour from their home in Brooklin, Ont., to pick up two recently hatched ducklings.
Ms. Johnson says her daughters have fallen in love with the ducklings, which sleep nestled in a Rubbermaid bin in the living room, under a heat lamp. During the day, Ben and Jerry frolic in the bathtub and chase the girls through the house.
“This gives her absolutely some kind of light," she says. “Some kind of way to bond with someone else and find joy."
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
Distractions
For the bookworm who loves the Harlequin section: The subversive power of Harlequin’s new cozy queer romance imprint
- The Hideaway Inn by Philip William Stover: “They both learn something from the other, which is good romance,” the author says of the book’s romantic pair.
- The Girl Next Door by Chelsea M. Cameron: This book follows Iris as she moves back in with her parents in their small Maine town while she weathers a quarter-life crisis.
- Hairpin Curves by Elia Winters: This cozy road-trip adventure, to be published July 28, is about estranged friends grappling with their unresolved tensions.
More Globe reporting and opinion
- When we are exhausted [from the pandemic], it’s harder to exercise willpower. Willpower that is needed to ride out investment portfolio volatility without bailing, to avoid using a food delivery app for a single burger combo when we have the ingredients in our fridge to make a meal, or to sit down and get our taxes filed.
- Restaurants in Western Canada have reopened and the rest of the country (fingers crossed) will be bouncing back soon. But the new dining experience – with its masked servers, routine temperature checks and tables spaced two metres apart – is not business as usual and will require new rules of etiquette.
- How do we stop the idea that tech companies can only thrive in major cities? Maybe with a pandemic that shows people can work from anywhere and that having everyone in one place is less magical than might previously have been thought. If that idea gains wide acceptance, one aftermath of the pandemic might be more balanced growth between Canada’s cities and the wide swath of the country outside of metropolitan areas.
- Klaus Schwab: “COVID-19 lockdowns may be gradually easing, but anxiety about the world’s social and economic prospects is only intensifying. There is good reason to worry: A sharp economic downturn has already begun, and we could be facing the worst depression since the 1930s. But, while this outcome is likely, it is not unavoidable.”
Information centre
- Here’s what you should do if you are newly laid off; how to apply for CERB, 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 physical distancing right; measures condo buildings are taking to encourage physical distancing; and what you can do to help slow the spread of coronavirus.
- Here are the essentials to stock up on and how to shop safely for groceries; 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.
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Have questions about the coronavirus? Email audience@globeandmail.com.