Health officials in British Columbia are asking people to spread the message of respect and tolerance, not COVID-19 when they gather at any anti-racism protests.
Provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix say in a joint statement that those who are speaking out against racism after the death of a black man in Minneapolis should keep physical distancing rules in mind.
They say limiting gatherings to 50 people reduces the risk of infection, whether at a grocery store, on a patio or at demonstrations.
Henry and Dix also announced 22 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, as well as one more death.
The province now has 214 active cases of the disease, with seven people receiving intensive care.
A total of 166 people have died in B.C. after contracting the novel coronavirus.
Outbreaks are ongoing at six long-term care or assisted-living facilities and public health teams are providing support for seven other community outbreaks.
- The Canadian Press
Today’s top headlines:
- Ontario farms struggle to contain COVID-19 as migrant workers test positive
- Government tables $87-billion in spending estimates to cover pandemic expenses
- Home sales in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary see partial rebound after pandemic shock
- Only one third of B.C.’s students return to the classroom, despite assurances
National news
- Quebec records 81 new COVID-19 deaths but new cases, hospitalizations drop
- Ontario reports 338 new COVID-19 cases, 19 more deaths
- Groups say Ontario emergency orders to fight pandemic violate privacy
- Federal aid for care home systems needed ahead of second wave, advocates say
- Mask shipment helps B.C. prepare for second wave, Dix says
International news
- United Nations to hold unprecedented physically distanced Security Council elections to respect COVID measures
- EU decides not to classify coronavirus as highest-level risk to workers
- Germany to lift European travel ban on June 15
- Chinese officials delayed releasing coronavirus information, frustrating WHO
What is the reopening plan in my province? A guide
9:15 p.m. EDT
B.C. health minister agrees to meeting about hospice denying end-of-life service
British Columbia’s health minister says he’s looking forward to a meeting with municipal, provincial and federal politicians concerned about a hospice that is refusing to provide medical assistance in dying.
Adrian Dix says he will arrange a virtual meeting at the request of Delta Mayor George Harvie in connection with the Delta Hospice Society, which operates a provincially funded hospice.
The society has scheduled a special phone and ballot meeting so members can vote to change its constitution to say Christian morals prevent the hospice from providing the end-of-life service that was legalized in Canada four years ago.
Harvie says hundreds of citizens are having memberships in the society revoked or denied before the vote set for June 15.
Dix has already said the society will lose $1.5 million in funding next February if it does not abide by provincial policy and allow medical assistance in dying.
Angelina Ireland, president of the society, has said the private group has the right to deny the service based on its principles and anyone who wants it should go elsewhere.
- The Canadian Press
1:30 p.m. EDT
Manitoba premier says pandemic aid may be improved, announces more road work
Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister says his government might make some COVID-19 aid programs available to more people.
Pallister says $29-million has been paid out so far from a planned $120-million forgivable loan program for small- and medium-sized businesses hurt by the pandemic.
Pallister says he will consider expanding the program if uptake remains low.
Pallister is also leaving the door open to expanding a one-time payment announced this week for low-income, front-line workers.
He says any decisions will be made once the province has an idea on how many businesses and people have applied by the deadline for each program.
Pallister has also announced $33-million in new infrastructure work, including improvements to highways that serve as an alternative route to the main road between Winnipeg and the United States border during flood season.
- The Canadian Press
12:30 p.m. EDT
Quebec records 81 new COVID-19 deaths but new cases, hospitalizations drop
Quebec is reporting 81 new deaths attributed to COVID-19, for a total of 4,794.
The government said today that 59 of those deaths occurred in the past 24 hours, while the remaining 22 deaths occurred before May 27.
Quebec public health authorities have stated that it sometimes takes several days for deaths to be attributed to the novel coronavirus and entered into the official count.
The number of new daily recorded cases of the virus continues to drop, however, with the province confirming 291 cases over the past 24 hours, for a total of 51,884.
This is the third straight day Quebec has recorded fewer than 300 new COVID-19 cases, something that hasn’t happened since mid-March.
The number of hospitalizations dropped again today, by 34, leaving a total of 1,141 patients in hospital.
- The Canadian Press
11 a.m. EDT
Ontario reports 338 new COVID-19 cases, 19 more deaths
Ontario is reporting 338 new cases of COVID-19 today, and 19 more deaths.
That brings the total in the province to 29,047 — an increase of 1.2 per cent over the previous day.
It includes 2,312 deaths and 22,811 cases that have been resolved.
The number of people in hospital dropped, though the amount of people in intensive care and on ventilators rose slightly.
Ontario completed 17,537 tests in the previous day, more than the 16,000 the province has pledged — but often failed — to do since the beginning of May, but still short of the government’s goal of 20,000 a day.
The number of long-term care facilities experiencing active COVID-19 outbreaks dropped below 100 today for the first time since the province started publicly reporting that figure in April.
- The Canadian Press
6 a.m. EDT
Mask shipment helps B.C. prepare for second wave, Dix says
Millions of respiratory masks B.C. purchased from a Chinese manufacturer have been given stamps of approval by separate labs, making them available for health workers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
Health Minister Adrian Dix says tests show the respirators exceed Health Canada requirements and they’re the equivalent of the sought-after N-95 masks made by 3M.
He says B.C. now has a stockpile of three million masks, putting the province in a good position to resume elective surgeries and prepare for a possible second wave of the virus.
B.C. reported four new cases of COVID-19 and no additional deaths yesterday.
-The Canadian Press
4 a.m. EDT
Groups say Ontario emergency orders to fight pandemic violate privacy
Advocates and legal experts are raising concerns about potential privacy violations in the emergency orders the Ontario government has implemented to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
The orders, which are currently in place until June 9 but will likely be extended further, allow first responders to access personal health details of residents who have tested positive for COVID-19.
The Progressive Conservative government says police, firefighters and paramedics need access to such information in order to protect themselves from contracting the virus while doing their jobs in the community.
But a group of advocates and public health workers say the orders are too broad and represent a significant privacy infringement.
They say first responders could make use of such data to target racialized and other marginalized communities.
They’re calling for the Ontario government to either cut off access to such data or build a firm “sunset clause” into the orders to ensure the information can’t be accessed in the future.
-The Canadian Press
4 a.m. EDT
Federal aid for care home systems needed ahead of second wave, advocates say
The Ontario Long Term Care Association says the federal government must do more to help provinces prepare nursing and retirement homes for the next wave of COVID-19.
Its CEO Donna Duncan is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to quickly negotiate an agreement with provincial governments to deliver funds to help long-term care systems get ready as soon as possible.
Duncan says the military members deployed to care homes in Quebec and Ontario are not a long-term solution and that hundreds more workers will need to be hired as care homes prepare for another wave of infections.
She says that will take speed, creativity and cash — to pay them and provide the protective equipment, testing and policies to make them feel safe enough to go to work.
Duncan says there also needs to be immediate infrastructure funding and agreements to find alternative spaces so homes don’t have to place more than two residents in one room.
More than 4,000 long-term care residents died of COVID-19 in Ontario and Quebec alone and Duncan says Ontario homes that had three or four patients in a single room were hit hardest by outbreaks of the novel coronavirus.
-The Canadian Press
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