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Hailey Montgomery and Jessie Willms

This article was published more than 3 years ago. Some information may no longer be current.

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

Top headlines

  1. Trudeau says talks preferable to retaliation in supplies dispute with U.S.
  2. Inuit brace for coronavirus to reach remote communities
  3. Ottawa pledges to help students shut out of COVID-19 benefits

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

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Shoppers wearing protective masks walk through the Historic Downtown Farmers Market during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in Los Angeles on Sunday.KYLE GRILLOT/Reuters

Coronavirus in Canada

15,425 cases confirmed in Canada; with 3,049 recoveries and 277 deaths reported.

  • Newfoundland and Labrador: Hopedale, an Inuit self-governing region in northern Labrador, does not have a confirmed case of COVID-19, but Indigenous leaders there are deeply concerned their communities are vulnerable to an outbreak and ill-equipped to handle one if it occurs.
  • Ontario: Another 25 people succumbed to COVID-19, bringing the provincial death toll for those who have tested positive for the virus to 119, health authorities reported Sunday. Meanwhile, the overall known caseload passed the 4,000 mark.
  • Quebec: Quebec is entering a pivotal phase in the fight against COVID-19, Premier Francois Legault said, as he extended the closure of non-essential businesses in the province until May 4. There were 19 new deaths in Quebec, for a total of 94, and 947 new cases.
  • Alberta: The provincial government said it’s going to defer timber dues for six months in order to help the forest industry retain staff and keep operating through the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • British Columbia: Days after 14 migrant workers at a Kelowna nursery tested positive for COVID-19, advocates say federal and provincial governments are facing a “potential disaster” if more protections and social-distancing guidelines aren’t extended to migrant agricultural workers.

More in Canada

  • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is working with U.S. officials to resolve issues over cross-border shipments of medical supplies, but signaled a preference for avoiding retaliatory measures.
  • Canadians aboard the COVID-19 stricken Coral Princess ship were expected to start coming home today. The ship arrived in Miami on Saturday with 97 Canadian passengers and two Canadian crew members aboard. A dozen people on board have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Number of the day

400 per cent

As Canadians self-isolate, eat more meals at home and stockpile essentials, demand for some grocery items has been up by 400 per cent. Major retailers, which typically stock on a “just enough, just in time” basis, have struggled to replenish their shelves.

Manufacturers have responded by limiting their portfolios to their most popular items, allowing for the more efficient operation of their machinery and production lines. In these unprecedented times, they are going back to basics and producing just the basics.

Coronavirus around the world

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In this Monday, March 9, 2020 file photo, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II arrives to attend the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in London. Queen Elizabeth told the British people on Sunday that they would overcome the coronavirus outbreak if they stayed resolute in the face of lockdown and self-isolation, invoking the spirit of World War Two in an extremely rare broadcast to the nation.The Associated Press

1,253,264 cases confirmed around the world; with 258,544 recoveries and 68,166 deaths reported.

  • British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was diagnosed with the new coronavirus more than a week ago, was admitted to a hospital for tests. Johnson’s office said he was hospitalized because he still has symptoms 10 days after testing positive for the virus.
  • In the United States, Captain Brett Crozier, the Navy captain who was removed from command of the coronavirus-stricken aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, has tested positive for COVID-19, according to two Naval Academy classmates of Crozier’s.
  • India is restricting the export of most diagnostic testing kits, as coronavirus cases there topped 3,350 despite a three-week nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the disease.
  • Pope Francis celebrated Palm Sunday Mass in the shelter of St. Peter’s Basilica without the public because of the coronavirus pandemic, while parish priests elsewhere in Rome took to church rooftops and bell towers to lead services so at least some faithful could follow the ritual.
  • Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has reregistered as a medical practitioner and will work one shift a week to help out during the coronavirus crisis, his office said.

Coronavirus and business

  • Due to the shutting down of non-essential businesses across the country because of COVID-19 restrictions, truckers are racking up more and more “empty miles” – driving empty trailers that generate little or no revenue, and its putting pressure on Canada’s vital transport industry.
  • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the government “should have more to say in the coming days” about helping postsecondary students who will soon join a brutal job market, which is ratcheting up pressure on those who need summer income to pay for fall tuition.
  • Food manufacturers are limiting their production to their most popular items in order to maximize volume and meet the skyrocketing demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

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 additional reader questions. Need more answers? Email audience@globeandmail.com

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An act of kindness

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Elton John has launched a $1-million emergency fund to help organisations working with people living with HIV or AIDS so they are not 'left behind' during the coronavirus crisis.Chris Pizzello/The Associated Press

Elton John launches fund for HIV/AIDS work amid coronavirus

Elton John has launched a $1 million emergency fund to help organisations working with people living with HIV or AIDS so they are not “left behind” during the coronavirus crisis.

With the coronavirus pandemic putting pressure on health systems globally, the British musician said the Elton John AIDS Foundation would give cash to organisations for solutions to keep HIV and AIDS care up and running.

“Distributing medicines, testing and preventative treatment is not as simple as it was a few weeks ago,” Elton John, 73, said in a video from his home in Los Angeles posted on Twitter to announce the initiative.

“So our new COVID-19 emergency fund will help front line partners to prepare for and respond to the pandemic and its effects on HIV prevention and care for the most marginalized communities.”

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