Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and the world on April 11
Parliament passes $73B wage subsidy bill; U.S. now has most COVID-19 deaths
The latest:
- Parliament passes wage subsidy bill valued at $73B.
- Ontario extends emergency orders until April 23.
- Worldwide COVID-19 death toll tops 100,000.
- U.S. deaths now world's highest as toll passes 20,000.
- Iran eases nationwide lockdown as government offices begin to reopen.
- Health experts are calling for increased COVID-19 testing — so why isn't Canada testing everyone?
- INTERACTIVE | Tracking the coronavirus in Canada.
The federal government's wage subsidy legislation was passed by Parliament Saturday after an emergency sitting that saw MPs applauding collaboration between parliamentarians of all political stripes.
The legislation cleared both chambers of Parliament after days of protracted negotiations between the government and opposition parties produced an agreement to pass a bill that will flow billions of dollars to companies during the COVID-19 crisis.
The bill receive royal assent from Governor General Julie Payette around 9:30 p.m. ET.
During his announcement that the Commons had passed the bill, House Speaker Anthony Rota characterized the occasion as an "exceptional day in the midst of exceptional times."
MPs across all federal parties thanked their colleagues for working together to push the legislation forward as quickly as possible.
Addressing a small contingent of MPs, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in an impassioned speech that Canadians' determination to fight the virus and look out for one another could be put to the test — though he thinks they are up to the challenge.
The prime minister likened the current situation to a war, but instead of a front line marked with barbed wire, he said the front line in this pandemic is everywhere — in homes, hospitals and grocery stores.
"Without reservation, without pause, we must fight for every inch of ground against this disease. We must be there for one another as we spare no effort to safeguard our collective future," Trudeau said.
- Missed opportunities to address COVID-19 early may prolong response measures, experts say
- Get the details of the models and projections and learn more about how to interpret COVID-19 disease models.
Confirmed infections have reached about 1.7 million worldwide, including more than 100,000 deaths, while the number of cases surpassed half a million in the U.S., according to a Johns Hopkins University count.
The spread of the novel coronavirus, first reported in China in late 2019, continues as Christians around the globe mark the Easter weekend, with church leaders offering services online amid restrictions on gathering in pews.
Health officials have projected that 11,000 Canadians would die over the course of the pandemic if 2.5 per cent of the population was infected, a number that increased to 22,000 if the infection rate hit five per cent of the population. All the projections are "highly sensitive" to behaviours, said Canada's Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam, as health officials outlined models with strict measures as well as offering a glimpse into what might have happened without controls.
WATCH | Dr. Peter Lin discusses this past week's 'very serious' projections:
Public health officials have urged people to stay home, avoid large gatherings and keep up physical distancing, handwashing and other measures.
The Public Health Agency of Canada, which has been posting updated information about the virus, says that COVID-19 is a "serious health threat." The agency says that risk varies between communities but notes that the overall risk to Canadians is " considered high."
Read on for a look at what's happening in Canada and around the world.
Here's what's happening in the provinces and territories
As of Saturday evening, Canada had 23,318 confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19. The provinces and territories that provide data on recovered cases listed more than 6,600 as resolved. A CBC News tally of deaths, which is based on public health information and reporting, lists 702 COVID-19-related deaths in Canada, as well as two coronavirus-linked deaths of Canadians abroad.
WATCH | Public health officials want people to stay apart to slow the spread of COVID-19. Here's a look at how to do that in some tricky situations:
British Columbia's top doctor says the province is working closely with federal counterparts to deal with an outbreak at a federal prison in Mission, B.C. Dr. Bonnie Henry also announced 35 new cases and three deaths on Saturday, urging residents to stay home for the long weekend and avoid "unnecessary travel." Read more about what's happening in B.C.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said the province would be sending equipment to other provinces battling COVID-19. Kenney said Alberta had an excess of equipment thanks to planning that began early during the pandemic.
Ontario will receive 250,000 N95 masks, five million procedural masks, 15 million gloves, 87,000 goggles and 50 ventilators; Quebec will receive 250,000 N95 masks, two million procedural masks and 15 million gloves; while British Columbia is set to receive 250,000 N95 masks. Read more about what's happening in Alberta.
Saskatchewan has recorded its fourth death. A press release from the province said the person who died is a Saskatchewan resident in their 60s and died from COVID-19 related complications. Read more about what's happening in Saskatchewan.
In Manitoba, a Winnipeg medical team has designed a new mask for health-care workers that could help replace the N95 masks — but the province still needs to find someone to make them. Manitoba is seeking submissions from local manufacturers that would be able to start making the new masks as soon as possible. Read more about what's happening in Manitoba.
The Ontario government on Saturday said it has extended until April 23 all emergency orders in place under a section of the province's Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, declared on March 17, to help slow the spread of infection.
That means the continued closure of amenities in parks and recreational areas, non-essential workplaces, public places and bars and restaurants, along with restrictions on social gatherings and the prohibition of price-gouging. Read more about what's happening in Ontario.
Quebec Premier François Legault says a police investigation is being launched into a Montreal-area private long-term care home where 31 residents have died, and that the province plans to overhaul its network of long-term care homes after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nurses say residents at CHSLD Herron were left unfed and untended, with full diapers and soiled beds. Legault said the home's owner refused to provide the patients' files to the government until last night, which is when the number of deaths came to light. He said five of the 31 CHSLD Herron residents who died had contracted COVID-19. Read more about what's happening in Quebec.
Prince Edward Island is reporting no new cases for the third consecutive day. Despite that, Chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison is urging Islanders to "stay the course" over the Easter weekend and continue to practise physical distancing. Read more about what's happening on P.E.I.
New Brunswick reported no new cases today. Additionally, the government says recoveries have now eclipsed active cases. Read more about what's happening in N.B.
Nova Scotia recorded 21 new cases — including a Halifax Regional Police officer — bringing the province's total to 428. Read more about what's happening in N.S.
Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting two new confirmed cases, bringing the province's number of confirmed cases to 241. Health officials say 120 people have recovered from the virus while there have been three deaths from COVID-19 in the province. Read more about what's happening in N.L.
In Canada's North, the Yukon government is offering financial assistance for eligible businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19 and the measures to fight it. In the northern Quebec region of Nunavik, officials reported a sixth case. Nunavut is the only province or territory in Canada without any reported cases. Read more about what's happening across Canada's North.
Here's a look at what's happening in the United States
From The Associated Press at 8:30 p.m. ET
The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus eclipsed Italy's for the highest in the world Saturday and surpassed 20,000 as Chicago and other cities across the Midwest braced for a potential surge in victims and moved to snuff out smoldering hot spots of contagion.
The death rate — that is, the number of dead relative to the population — is still far higher in Italy than in U.S., which has more than five times as many people. And worldwide, the true numbers of dead and infected are believed to be much higher because of testing shortages, different counting practices and concealment by some governments.
With the New York area still deep in crisis, fear mounted over the spread of the scourge into the nation's heartland.
About half of U.S. deaths are in the New York metropolitan area, where hospitalizations are nevertheless slowing and other indicators suggest lockdowns and physical distancing are "flattening the curve" of infections and staving off the doomsday scenarios.
New York state on Saturday reported 783 more deaths, for a total over 8,600.
In the Midwest, pockets of contagion have alarmed state and city leaders and led to stricter enforcement.
Twenty-four residents of an Indiana nursing home hit by COVID-19 have died, while a nursing home in Iowa saw 14 deaths. Chicago's Cook County has set up a temporary morgue that can take more than 2,000 bodies. And Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has been going around telling groups of people to "break it up."
Nearly 300 inmates at the Cook County Jail have tested positive for the virus, and two have died.
In Wisconsin, health officials expect to see an increase in coronavirus cases after thousands of people went to the polls during the state's presidential primary Tuesday.
Michigan's governor extended her state's stay-at-home order with new provisions: People with multiple homes may no longer travel between them.
And in Kansas, the state Supreme Court heard arguments in a dispute Saturday between Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican lawmakers who overturned her executive order banning religious services and funerals with more than 10 people.
Meanwhile, Defence Department officials say the White House has approved the production of N95 masks.
According to a statement, $133 million US will be used to increase the production capacity of masks to more than 39 million over the next 90 days. Officials say the names of the companies that have been chosen to make the masks will be made available in the coming days when the contract is awarded.
The masks will be made under the Defence Production Act. President Donald Trump invoked the act, which gives the federal government broad authority to direct private companies to meet the needs of the national defence, to help provide medical supplies.
Here's a look at what's happening around the world
From The Associated Press and Reuters, updated at 7:30 p.m. ET
Iran began reopening government offices Saturday after a brief nationwide lockdown to help contain the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East, which has killed more than 4,300 people in the country out of 68,000 total cases.
Authorities had ordered most government agencies and all non-essential businesses to remain closed for a week after the Nowruz holiday ended on Apr. 4.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei suggested mass gatherings may be barred through the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which runs from late April through most of May.
There are more than 134,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the Middle East, including over 5,300 fatalities.
South Korea announced plans Saturday to strap tracking wristbands on people who defy quarantine orders. Officials there say stricter controls are required because some of the 57,000 people who are under orders to stay home have slipped out by leaving behind smartphones with tracking apps. Plans for broader use of wristbands were scaled back after objections by human rights and legal activists.
The World Health Organization said on Saturday that it was looking into reports of some COVID-19 patients in South Korea were testing positive again after initially testing negative for the disease.
South Korean officials on Friday reported 91 patients thought cleared of the novel coronavirus had tested positive again. Jeong Eun-kyeong, director of the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, told a briefing that the virus may have been "reactivated" rather than the patients being re-infected.
Britain's health secretary on Saturday reiterated appeals to health-care workers not to overuse personal protective equipment, urging everyone to treat PPE as a "precious resource." Matt Hancock's comment came after he recently faced backlash from health-care workers who say they do not have enough PPE when treating patients with COVID-19.
On Saturday, Britain reported 9,875 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic, the fifth highest national number globally. It was the second day running that the number to die had increased by more than 900.
Almost 80,000 people in Britain have tested positive for the virus, among them Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is in the early stages of recovery on a hospital ward after spending three nights in intensive care.
"The prime minister continues to make very good progress," a Downing Street spokesperson said.
Italy has topped 19,000 deaths and 150,000 cases of the coronavirus. The milestones were hit Saturday, even as the country continued to see a slight decrease in numbers of people hospitalized and in intensive care.
Officials have been warning Italians not to keep their guard down even if the number of new cases and deaths is narrowing, especially on the Easter holiday weekend when many are tempted to go to the countryside or seashore.
Police checkpoints were set up around major arteries in Milan, the capital of the hardest-hit region of Lombardy — with 38 per cent of all cases and more than half of all deaths.
Spain said it will distribute 10 million face masks at major train and subway stations as the country reported its lowest daily death count in nearly three weeks with 510.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska made the announcement on Saturday, two days before factory and construction workers will be allowed to go back to work. That comes after a two-week ban on commuting for all workers not involved in health care or food production and distribution. Grande-Marlaska says police and civil protection officers will distribute the masks at "major public transport nodes" from Monday to Wednesday for those workers.
Spain has confirmed 161,852 infections and 16,353 deaths.
In France, the country's intensive care units saw fewer patients for a third day in a row. However, deaths continue to mount. More than 13,000 people have now died.
Meanwhile, some 160,000 French security forces were fanning out around the country to ensure people respect the "stay home" mantra over the Easter weekend. Police were posted at highway entrances and other critical transiting spots for people trying to escape city life; officers on horseback combed beaches and parks along the northern French coast; and drones were used in other areas to spot people defying strict confinement rules. Those rules end Wednesday after one month, but are expected to be extended.
Turkey has reported more than 5,000 new coronavirus cases, pushing the total to above 50,000 since recording its first confirmed infection exactly a month ago.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca says there was 5,138 cases over the previous 24 hours, taking the country's total to 52,167. The death toll rose to 1,101 with the addition of 95 fatalities.
The minister says the rise in cases reflected a greater number of tests being conducted — 33,170 over 24 hours to take the total number of tests to 340,380.
Mainland China reported 99 new confirmed coronavirus cases on April 11, including 97 involving travellers from overseas, up from a total of 46 new cases a day earlier, China's National Health Commission said on Sunday.
The commission said in a statement that 63 new asymptomatic coronavirus cases were reported on Sunday, up from 34 on Saturday.
Mainland China's tally of infections now stands at 82,052, while the death toll stands at 3,339.
Shanghai, China's commercial hub, contribute to more than half of the imported cases. The city reported 52 new coronavirus cases on April 11, all involving Chinese nationals traveling from overseas, the municipal health commission said on Sunday.
Of Shanghai's new cases, 51 flew in on the same flight from Russia on April 10. The 52nd case involves a Chinese national arriving in Shanghai from a trip to Canada.
In Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is sending the "stay home" message by example by posting on Twitter a video clip of himself at home.
In a one-minute video posted Sunday, an expressionless Shinzo Abe cuddles his dog, reads a book, sips from a cup and clicks on a remote.
Popular singer and actor Gen Hoshino is also featured in the video on a split screen, strumming on a guitar while at home. Hoshino performs his song advocating social distancing, which goes: "Let's survive and dance, each one of us, wherever we are, all of us as one, let's sing at home."
友達と会えない。飲み 会もできない。<br>ただ、皆さんのこうした行動によって、多くの命が確実に救われています。そして、今この瞬間も、過酷を極める現場で奮闘して下さっている、医療従事者の皆さんの負担の軽減につながります。お一人お一人のご協力に、心より感謝申し上げます。 <a href="https://t.co/VEq1P7EvnL">pic.twitter.com/VEq1P7EvnL</a>
—@AbeShinzoAbe issued a state of emergency several days ago and later expanded that nationwide, asking people who can to work from home and businesses to close. The number of coronavirus cases in Japan has been growing recently, raising worries about inadequate social distancing and overloading hospitals.
With files from The Associated Press, Reuters and The Canadian Press
