Coronavirus Update: Trump tweets ‘don’t be afraid of COVID’ before leaving hospital

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

Top headlines:

1. Trump leaves hospital Monday evening for White House [For subscribers]
2. Skip the line for a COVID-19 test when you visit a private clinic – for a fee
3. Picard: With winter coming and the virus spreading, a feeling of dread is setting in

In Canada, there have been at least 168,958 cases reported. In the last week 13,496 new cases were announced, 37% more than the previous week.

There have also been at least 142,368 recoveries and 9,504 deaths. Today, 23 deaths were reported, compared to 20 yesterday.

Note: 114 of the deaths recorded on the weekend of October 2-4 occurred in the spring and summer and were added as part of a data review, according to the Ontario government.

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Worldwide, there have been at least 35,150,468 cases confirmed and 1,036,941 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: Coronavirus in maps and charts • Lockdown rules and reopening • Mask-wearing rules • Back to school guide • Essential resources

Photo of the day

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Number of the day

1 in 10

The World Health Organization said “best estimates” indicate about 10 per cent of the world’s population may have been infected by the coronavirus. The estimate – 760 million based on a population of 7.6 billion – is well below the 35 million confirmed cases. The figure is estimated based on an average of antibody studies conducted around the world, the WHO said.

Coronavirus in Canada

• Starting Thursday, high-school students in high-alert areas in Quebec will be required to wear face masks in the classroom and on school grounds. The province reported 1,191 new cases today, the highest single-day total since the beginning of the pandemic.
• Ahead of the Thanksgiving weekend, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said people should “keep your circles tight,” just days after “pausing” social circles. Also today, the Premier blamed a shortage of diagnostic technicians and chemicals needed to process tests for the province’s backlog of 68,006 tests. Ontario reported 615 new cases today. Meanwhile, the province says it is spending $35-million to help schools in COVID-19 hot spots.
• In Manitoba, the government announced it will require bars and other venues in the Winnipeg region to close early in response to rising case numbers. The province reported 51 new cases today, 35 of which were in Winnipeg.
• Newfoundland and Labrador said passengers on a recent Toronto-to-Halifax flight should immediately isolate and get tested for COVID-19.

In Ottawa, Theresa Tam said regions in Canada are responding to rising case numbers with measures based on local epidemiology and circumstances, but are “steering in uncertain waters.”

• “No one knows exactly what is going to work, so there’s a grey zone and people are doing slightly different things,” Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer said, but that basic strategies – such as physical distancing, handwashing and wearing masks – should continue.

Across Canada, private medical clinics are charging between $50 and $250 for COVID-19 tests, allowing people to skip lineups at government sites. Critics say private clinics prioritize those who can pay over need.

COVID-19 and school: International students will soon to be allowed into Canada as long as they have a 14-day quarantine plan.

Video: Michael Houghton, the Canadian virologist who jointly won the 2020 Nobel Prize for medicine on Monday, says that a course of several injections or receiving an annual vaccine may be the route for long-term immunity to COVID-19

Coronavirus around the world

• U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he’s leaving the military hospital where he has been receiving care for COVID-19. He declared that, despite his illness, the nation should not be afraid of the virus that has killed more than 210,000 Americans.
• A drastic rise in COVID-19 infections has pushed Lebanon’s hospitals to the edge, and experts warn they will soon be unable to cope as the country buckles under a succession of devastating crises.
• New restrictions are being rolled out across Europe as governments try to contain a surge in COVID-19 infections without imposing national lockdowns that would propel economies into a second crisis.

Coronavirus and business

The question hovering over the night this year isn’t what to dress up as, but is Halloween cancelled? If you look at buying habits, the answer is probably not.

• Costume companies say they don’t expect to see a drop in demand this year, while candy sales are up over the same period last year (with a decline expected near the end of the month).
• When it comes to official advice, some health experts say it’s safe to go trick or treating, so long as people follow guidelines with which we are all familiar.

Meanwhile, the Public Health Agency of Canada is working on guidelines for the spooky holiday. But no matter who gives the go ahead, some parents remain uncomfortable sending their children out to join crowds of trick or treaters and instead will be doing Halloween at home.

Also today: Many retailers are planning for an earlier holiday shopping season, and a greater emphasis on e-commerce, in a bid to avoid large in-store crowds and shipping bottlenecks closer to Christmas.

And: Cineworld, one the world’s biggest theatre operators, is temporarily closing all its cinemas in the United States and Britain. The share price of the company fell 36 per cent on Monday.

Globe opinion

André Picard: “With winter coming and no clear end in sight to coronavirus spread, it feels like the walls are closing in. The role of politicians and public-health officials is to shore up our defences, to keep us vigilant. For a moment, we allowed ourselves to think that everything hadn’t changed, that we could easily return to ‘normal’ and now we’re paying the price.”

Esyllt Jones, Ian Milligan and Shelley Sweeney: “The end of COVID is not yet in sight, but it is not too soon to ask: What will we pass on to those who did not live through this pandemic as we did? How will we pass on insights from this experience? We need co-ordinated action to capture the Canadian COVID-19 pandemic experience for history.”

More reporting

• Canadians forced to miss work because of COVID-19 can start applying for two new supports from the federal government today: a sick-leave benefit, and a caregiver benefit
• The government announced farmers can now apply for emergency funding to purchase personal protective equipment and sanitary stations
• Euro zone economic recovery in danger as COVID-19 resurgence hits service industries
• COVID-19 mask protocols at my work are not being followed by managers. What can I do?
• Workers in Alberta grapple with mental-health effects of the dual challenges of a recession and COVID-19 pandemic
• Brampton, Ont., woman, 25, on how her finances have shifted: ‘COVID-19 has allowed me to save more money’
• Canada’s failure to learn lessons from SARS put health care workers at risk during COVID-19 pandemic, a new report says
• How this Hamilton karaoke bar is trying to keep customers safe during the pandemic

Distractions

🍎 For the new baker: What’s the secret to a great apple pie?

• Apples are either tart, tart-sweet or sweet, and a mixture makes the best pie filling. Granny Smith, Mutsu or Pink Lady fit the bill. Save the McIntosh variety for applesauce.

And: Chefs for hire a booming business right now in British Columbia.

Information centre

• 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. Wash your hands. How to break a bad habit (like touching your face). Is flying safe?
• 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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