Good evening,
If you haven’t already been wearing a mask in public, it’s probably time to start.
Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam upgraded her advice today on wearing masks, saying they should be worn when you can’t keep your distance from others. Still, Dr. Tam stressed that other precautions – such as staying at least two metres apart from other people and frequently washing your hands for at least 20 seconds at a time – are necessary to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he’s started to wear a mask at all times while he’s working, only taking it off when he’s at his desk and no one is around.
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
The gender divide: Women make up 53 per cent of those who have died from COVID-19 in Canada, according to researchers at the University College London’s Centre for Gender and Global Health. That’s unusual compared with other countries, where men have been more likely to die from the disease. Experts say it is because the populations hit hardest by the coronavirus in Canada are seniors at long-term care homes and health care workers – both of which groups are majority women.
Bailing out: The federal government has opened applications for its emergency-loan program for large companies, offering a minimum of $60-million per firm – with some strings attached. Chief executives will not be allowed to make more than $1-million a year while taking the federal money and the government is giving itself the option of buying shares in the corporation.
Welcoming in: Prince Edward Island is getting ready to reopen on Friday. The province has recorded only 27 cases of the coronavirus so far, all of which are considered recovered. PEI Premier Dennis King said seasonal visitors will soon be allowed to apply to come to the Island, as long as they can quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
And cleaning up: Wu-Tang Clan – the legendary collective of New York rappers – continues to help the city of Ottawa (of all places) deal with the coronavirus. Last month the group helped the Ottawa Food Bank raise about $280,000 in 48 hours. Now the Wu-Tang Clan has partnered with other charities to start selling T-shirts, bottles of hand sanitizer (called Protect Ya Hands) and noodle bowls, with proceeds going to those in need.
MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index climbed on Wednesday as energy and financial stocks were boosted by growing demand for oil and hopes of a rapid recovery from the virus-induced recession. The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 0.75% to 14,997.63.
On Wall Street, stocks posted gains as investors were optimistic of a quick economic recovery from the pandemic and more stimulus measures from the Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.52% to end at 24,575.9 points, while the S&P 500 gained 1.67%, to 2,971.61. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 2.08% to 9,375.78.
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TALKING POINTS
Canada – and Nova Scotia – get no respite from tragedy
“A child too young to remember what normal is supposed to look like might think flags are only supposed to go halfway up flagpoles. That the top parts of flagpoles are like chimneys on modern houses – mostly for aesthetic reasons, rarely if ever used. That’s because since the beginning of the year, Canada has seen one tragedy after another: the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, the outbreak of COVID-19, the senseless Nova Scotia massacre in mid-April, the Cyclone chopper crash off Greece and now the deadly Snowbirds crash in Kamloops. It’s hard to recall the last long stretch of time when the three flagpoles along my grocery route all flew their flags at full-mast.” – Robyn Urback
Recovering from COVID-19: The critical decisions we make right now will have long-term implications
“After the Great Lockdown will come the Great Transformation, a series of profound changes to what is already being described as the “old normal.” If we remain passive to emerging risks, we may lose a historical opportunity to shape the new normal we want rather than the one we would be left with.” – Emilio Granados Franco, head of global risks and geopolitical agenda at the World Economic Forum
The Last Dance may be a vanity project, but that doesn’t preclude it from being a masterpiece
“In the end, [Michael Jordan] comes off as a tragic figure. Isolated not just by his fame, but by his inability to understand why everyone around him was so damned average by comparison.” – Cathal Kelly, on the Netflix documentary series
LIVING BETTER
With restaurant options limited, no doubt you’ve been cooking at home more than you used to. Why not try some new recipes? The Globe reviewed five new cookbooks covering making sourdough (a well-timed release), using flowers (real and sugary), creating a do-it-yourself kitchen, reinventing tinned seafood and doing the vegetarian equivalent of nose-to-tail dining.
TODAY’S LONG READ
How can kids play sports while staying physically distant? The advantage is that they’re outside. The disadvantage is ... probably everything else. Youth sports leagues around the country are trying to figure out how to be there for children who need exercise and socializing this summer. Individual sports such as tennis and golf are finding the transition a bit easier, but team sports likely can’t return in their usual form for a while.
“We will introduce the game back to players in a gradual way, starting with individual player work – one player, one ball – and maintaining the physical-distancing guidelines that each government is asking for,” Jason deVos of Canada Soccer told The Globe. "We have to be mindful that the traditional form of a game – a competition between one club and another – that might take some time.”
Evening Update is written by Chris Hannay, with an assist by Omair Quadri. If you’d like to receive this newsletter by e-mail every weekday evening, go here to sign up. If you have any feedback, send us a note.
Chris Hannay