Coronavirus Update: Canadians urged to avoid travel, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau tests positive and Ontario schools to close

What to know

Good morning – here are the coronavirus updates you need to know today:

All schools in Ontario will close for next three weeks; Canadians urged to say home
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau tests positive for COVID-19. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government will be asking Canadians to avoid travel outside the country and is planning enhanced screening measures at airports.
The TSX opened higher on Friday, bouncing back from a record drop a day earlier
The NHL suspends operations; MLB delays its season by two weeks

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The NHL suspended operations Thursday over coronavirus concerns, with MLB following suit shortly after. The Washington Capitals arena was empty on Thursday.Nick Wass/The Associated Press

Coronavirus in Canada

117: the total number of confirmed cases in Canada.
The Ontario government announced all schools will be closed for March Break and the two weeks after.
Quebec banned public gatherings of more than 250 people. “All of Quebec needs to go into emergency mode,” Premier François Legault said.
In Calgary, a child tested positive for coronavirus, the first known case of the virus infecting a minor in Canada.
Both Saskatchewan and Manitoba reported their first presumptive case of coronavirus.
Also in Ontario, some front-line physicians say they’re having trouble getting patients tested.
All Canadian Armed Forces members will be barred from travelling internationally for three weeks.

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, the wife of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has tested positive for the new coronavirus and the couple are isolating themselves. Trudeau is not exhibiting any symptoms, the PMO said in a statement.

Trudeau cancelled several high-level meetings with premiers and Indigenous leaders, in favour of virtual meetings. MPs and Senators discussed suspending the houses of Parliament.

Coronavirus around the world

China said Thursday the peak of the outbreak in the country has passed; a senior Chinese medical official said the global pandemic could be over by June if all countries take positive measures.
European Union leaders said Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s travel ban unjustly made the continent a ‘scapegoat’ for the global outbreak. European stock markets fell sharply, as major indices dropped more than 5 per cent in early trading.
After the NBA announced Wednesday night that it was suspending games, the NHL and MLB said today they would suspend operations. MLS and the Professional Lacrosse League also suspended their seasons.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the country would not close schools or ban sporting events – for now. Johnson told reporters the government’s response to the pandemic was ‘guided by science.’

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

Number of the day

$1.5-trillion (US)

Amount the Fed will pump into the financial system through the purchase of a full range of U.S. government debt.

The changes are made to address "highly unusual disruptions in Treasury financing markets associated with the coronavirus outbreak,” the New York Fed said in a statement.

Reader question

Question: My child’s school has closed. Now what do I do?

Answer: School and daycare closures are part of an approach called social distancing, which focuses on limiting social contacts. In school and daycare, young people are in close contact, so at risk of spreading virus. Children and youth are also vectors, they can carry the virus home to their parents and grandparents. When schools are closed, the biggest concern for parents is how to care for their kids.

You don’t have to lock them in the house for three weeks. Kids can play outside.

There can be small group activities. But most sporting leagues and other groups will probably be shut down too. Obviously, it’s hard to work in these circumstances so you have to make alternative work arrangements. (Working remotely is also a social distancing measure.) In some countries, child care has been provided for parents who work in essential services. The good news is that these measures should be temporary.

The Globe’s health columnist André Picard answered additional reader questions. Need more answers? Email audience@globeandmail.com

More Globe reporting:

Doctors say coronavirus test criteria is inconsistent, could lead to dangerous gaps
A growing number of African countries are imposing restrictions on visits by Europeans.
Could Canada bring in mass coronavirus quarantine measures like Italy?
The Canadian Screen Awards and the Junos are cancelled.
Gig economy workers who can’t work from home push for benefits, sick leave amid coronavirus outbreak
Mark MacKinnon: Coronavirus finally caused Britain’s famously stiff upper lip to quiver.
Adrian Lee: Let’s seize the bidet: “The coronavirus is here, and despite the eminently human and reasonable anxieties we have around the pandemic, one of the main fears is how will we wipe our butts.”

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