nationalobserver--2020-05-13--'Alberta didn’t contain it': COVID-19 outbreak at oilsands camp has spread across the country

By the end of April , workers from Kearl had unwittingly spread COVID-19 to a remote northern Saskatchewan Dene village , starting an outbreak that killed two elders , and into a long-term care home in British Columbia .
Cases have also been reported in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador .
The outbreak now spans 106 cases in five provinces , including Alberta .
It started with a few cases at a work camp housing thousands of fly-in , fly-out workers at Imperial Oil ’ s Kearl Lake facility , 70 kilometres north of Fort McMurray , Alta .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus went with them .
A COVID-19 outbreak from an oilsands camp in Alberta started spreading across Canada in mid-April .
In an emailed statement , Alberta Health spokesperson Tom McMillan said the province is not aware of any deaths that have been directly linked to Kearl Lake .
( Cases such as the two elders who died in northern Saskatchewan aren ’ t considered direct links , as they didn ’ t contract the virus at Kearl Lake . )
“ It started with Kearl Lake , ” said Rick Laliberte , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Command Centre , a group of northern Saskatchewan First Nations , Métis and municipal leaders working to address the oilsands-linked outbreak in their region .
“ There ’ s absolutely no doubt that the Alberta government ’ s decision to not close down the camps , or at least put constraints on fly-in and fly-out operations , has cost lives , ” said Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan , who wrote to the provincial government in April to ask for restrictions on fly-in , fly-out work .
( The federation is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Critics say the province could have prevented further outbreaks if it had restricted fly-in , fly-out work in the oilsands .
Of the 106 cases linked to Kearl Lake , 24 are in other provinces .
These ‘ rotational ’ staff will often work at their job site for an extended number of days and then fly home between shifts — for example , two weeks on , one week off .
Some companies have private aerodromes to bring workers to the site , where they ’ re often fed and housed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
Roughly 15 oilsands operations use fly-in , fly-out workers , according to a 2018 report from the Oil Sands Community Alliance .
Even as much of Canada ’ s economy has ground to a halt , several provinces have deemed oil and gas work an essential service .
The workforce at several oilsands sites is reduced , however , as companies cut production in response to plummeting crude prices .
“ We are following and have been implementing all guidance from public health authorities and instructing our workforce to follow all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities , ” she said in an email .
Imperial Oil spokesperson Lisa Schmidt said the company has implemented new safety protocols and is working to support workers who have fallen ill .
It started preparing for this outcome in mid-March and has tested all Kearl Lake employees , she said .
“ We are monitoring the situation in work camps closely to limit the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health of everyone involved , ” he said .
McMillan also did not directly respond to questions about why Alberta hasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic .
“ I think what ’ s a little bit unique to the oilsands situation is that people are moving in and out , ” Dr. Singh said .
The close quarters at oilsands camps make it easy for COVID-19 to spread , said Dr. Ameeta Singh , an infectious disease specialist and clinical professor at the University of Alberta .
But it ’ s doubly tricky because workers at the camps are coming and going .
Some critics have raised concerns about whether a fly-in workforce could spread COVID-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has noted that oilsands operations , many of which rely on rotational workers , can ’ t simply be shut down as that process can damage their equipment .
“ Every time there ’ s movement like that , people are at risk of acquiring the infection and therefore potentially passing it on.
” As COVID-19 began escalating in Canada in mid-March , companies that operate oilsands camps — including Civeo , which services Kearl Lake — began implementing new safety measures in hopes of blocking the spread of the virus .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Alberta government on April 16 , after the first cases at Kearl Lake had been announced , asking for the province to intervene and restrict movement to and from fly-in sites .
“ We were concerned that the work camps would become almost cruise ships , ” he said , referring to the vessels that became floating COVID-19 incubators during the early stages of the pandemic .
In a follow-up phone call , McGowan said the province said they were putting safety protocols in place .
But Alberta did n't restrict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week after the first case at Kearl Lake was publicly announced , B.C .
provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry warned the oilsands outbreak had crossed the Alberta border .
Some Kearl Lake workers passed the virus on to family members , including one person who was working in a long-term care home .
That transmission caused an outbreak at the home .
B.C.
’ s Ministry of Health has not identified the facility , but told National Observer the cases there were not fatal and the outbreak at the long-term care facility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Alberta government said it gave contact information for infected people to provinces dealing with Kearl Lake infections .
But B.C .
struggled to track down everyone in the province who had been at Kearl Lake , and Dr. Henry issued public pleas for those who worked at the site to self-isolate for 14 days .
“ It has been a challenging process , as we do n't all have contact information for everyone , ” Dr. Henry said on April 28 .
At least 16 COVID-19 cases in B.C .
were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close contacts of workers who were carrying the virus .
Meanwhile , northwestern Saskatchewan has also become a COVID-19 hotspot after a Kearl Lake worker carried the virus home .
Three cases in the area have been directly linked to the oilsands , the Saskatchewan Health Authority said .
In addition to the two elders who died , a third is in the ICU , Laliberte said .
Non-essential travel in the region is now restricted .
The Dene village of La Loche , a community of 2,800 people located a six-hour drive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on April 17 .
In the winter , an ice road connects La Loche to the oilsands , where many residents work .
The far north of the province , a region which includes La Loche and several other Indigenous communities , had reported more than 200 cases Monday .
About 150 were active , making up the bulk of Saskatchewan ’ s remaining cases .
“ As far as I know , they ’ re oilsands-caused , ” Laliberte said .
Fighting the virus in northwestern Saskatchewan has been difficult and costly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get access to personal protective equipment , and many people need extra help , as they live in crowded conditions that make it difficult to self-isolate at home .
Remote First Nations are also already at higher risk from COVID-19 due to lack of access to health care and systemic inequities .
“ We ’ re innocent , ” Laliberte said .
“ No one asked for the virus and no one asked to spread it ... Can we send the bill to Alberta ?
” James Winkel , a spokesperson for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ province now has officials on the ground for “ aggressive ” contact tracing in a bid to slow the spread of the virus .
“ Our results are paying off , ” Winkel said in an email .
“ We ’ re seeing a lowering trend in the number of positive cases in La Loche , but at the same time expect some cases to arise as a result of the more aggressive testing underway in this area of the province.
” Saskatchewan has issued a “ precautionary advisory ” asking people returning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days .
B.C .
has ordered workers returning home from Kearl to self-isolate , as have Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia , which have reported one Kearl Lake-related case each .
Dr. Singh said based on case numbers alone , it appears that asking workers to self-isolate once they ’ re home isn ’ t working on its own .
But the entire country is facing an unprecedented situation where people are having to balance economic concerns with health-related ones , and there are no one-size-fits-all answers , she added .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( from the oilsands ) , the question is what is the next level of measures that need to be taken , ” she said .
“ We have to reassess on a daily basis , it seems.
” Of the 106 COVID-19 cases linked to Kearl Lake , 74 have since recovered .
The Alberta government has also created a set of protocols to halt the spread of the virus in camps , including screening of workers , disinfection practices and changes that allow physical distancing .
When a worker tests positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been infected must immediately self-isolate for 14 days .
“ The fact that the number of cases at Kearl are comparatively low after almost a month suggests control measures have been quite effective , ” said McMillan , the Alberta Health spokesperson .
The B.C .
Ministry of Health said its officials had not drawn any conclusions about whether the Kearl Lake cases appear to be levelling off .
McGowan said the Kearl Lake outbreak has been managed better than Alberta ’ s other high-profile industrial COVID-19 hotspot , a Cargill meat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest outbreak in Canada .
But it still could have been handled better , he added .
“ Here in Alberta , our province ’ s response to COVID-19 has been a story of success in the public and a failure in workplaces , ” he said .
“ Infections never remain in the workplace , they ’ re also carried out into the community .
So in that way , by failing to deal with workplace infections and outbreaks , our provincial government has essentially been undermining their attempts to stop the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sands Community Alliance , a division of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers lobby group , says that fly-in workers are crucial in the oilsands .
Some sites would be a 90-minute or even three-hour drive from Fort McMurray , and it would be impractical for them to commute by car every day .
McGowan said he doesn ’ t buy that workers from other provinces are necessary .
There are plenty of out-of-work tradespeople in Alberta , he said , and limiting fly-in work could prevent infections from spreading outside the province @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of political will and misplaced priorities , ” he added .
“ This needs to be driven home more , especially now as our province and other provinces consider reopening and sending people back to work.
” Meanwhile , two other oilsands operators have reported COVID-19 cases .
Those aren ’ t considered ‘ outbreaks ’ as Alberta Health Services has not found evidence the virus was transmitted at the sites .
Four cases were reported at a camp at Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. ’ s Horizon site , which uses rotational workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which doesn ’ t have fly-in , fly-out staff .

“There’s absolutely no doubt that the Alberta government’s decision to not close down the camps, or at least put constraints on fly-in and fly-out operations, has cost lives,” said Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan, who wrote to the provincial government in April to ask for restrictions on fly-in, fly-out work. (The federation is an association of 29 unions.)
Critics say the province could have prevented further outbreaks if it had restricted fly-in, fly-out work in the oilsands. Of the 106 cases linked to Kearl Lake, 24 are in other provinces.
By the end of April, workers from Kearl had unwittingly spread COVID-19 to a remote northern Saskatchewan Dene village, starting an outbreak that killed two elders, and into a long-term care home in British Columbia. Cases have also been reported in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. The outbreak now spans 106 cases in five provinces, including Alberta.
It started with a few cases at a work camp housing thousands of fly-in, fly-out workers at Imperial Oil’s Kearl Lake facility, 70 kilometres north of Fort McMurray, Alta. When those employees headed home, the virus went with them.
A COVID-19 outbreak from an oilsands camp in Alberta started spreading across Canada in mid-April.
In an emailed statement, Alberta Health spokesperson Tom McMillan said the province is not aware of any deaths that have been directly linked to Kearl Lake. (Cases such as the two elders who died in northern Saskatchewan aren’t considered direct links, as they didn’t contract the virus at Kearl Lake.)
“It started with Kearl Lake,” said Rick Laliberte, the incident commander of the Northwest Incident Command Centre, a group of northern Saskatchewan First Nations, Métis and municipal leaders working to address the oilsands-linked outbreak in their region.
“We are following and have been implementing all guidance from public health authorities and instructing our workforce to follow all of the guidance of their local health authorities,” she said in an email.
Imperial Oil spokesperson Lisa Schmidt said the company has implemented new safety protocols and is working to support workers who have fallen ill. It started preparing for this outcome in mid-March and has tested all Kearl Lake employees, she said.
“We are monitoring the situation in work camps closely to limit the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health of everyone involved,” he said.
McMillan also did not directly respond to questions about why Alberta hasn’t restricted fly-in, fly-out work during the pandemic.
Roughly 15 oilsands operations use fly-in, fly-out workers, according to a 2018 report from the Oil Sands Community Alliance.
Even as much of Canada’s economy has ground to a halt, several provinces have deemed oil and gas work an essential service. The workforce at several oilsands sites is reduced, however, as companies cut production in response to plummeting crude prices .
These ‘rotational’ staff will often work at their job site for an extended number of days and then fly home between shifts — for example, two weeks on, one week off. Some companies have private aerodromes to bring workers to the site, where they’re often fed and housed in remote camps that can hold thousands of people.
Some critics have raised concerns about whether a fly-in workforce could spread COVID-19. In response, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has noted that oilsands operations, many of which rely on rotational workers, can’t simply be shut down as that process can damage their equipment.
The close quarters at oilsands camps make it easy for COVID-19 to spread, said Dr. Ameeta Singh, an infectious disease specialist and clinical professor at the University of Alberta. But it’s doubly tricky because workers at the camps are coming and going.
“I think what’s a little bit unique to the oilsands situation is that people are moving in and out,” Dr. Singh said.
“Every time there’s movement like that, people are at risk of acquiring the infection and therefore potentially passing it on.”
As COVID-19 began escalating in Canada in mid-March, companies that operate oilsands camps — including Civeo, which services Kearl Lake — began implementing new safety measures in hopes of blocking the spread of the virus. But COVID-19 got in anyway.
McGowan wrote to the Alberta government on April 16, after the first cases at Kearl Lake had been announced, asking for the province to intervene and restrict movement to and from fly-in sites.
“We were concerned that the work camps would become almost cruise ships,” he said, referring to the vessels that became floating COVID-19 incubators during the early stages of the pandemic.
In a follow-up phone call, McGowan said the province said they were putting safety protocols in place. But Alberta didn't restrict the use of fly-in workers.
Oilsands workers at Imperial Oil's Kearl Lake facility, where there has been a COVID-19 outbreak, are tested for the virus. Photo courtesy Imperial Oil
‘They’re oilsands-caused’
A week after the first case at Kearl Lake was publicly announced, B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry warned the oilsands outbreak had crossed the Alberta border. Some Kearl Lake workers passed the virus on to family members, including one person who was working in a long-term care home.
That transmission caused an outbreak at the home. B.C.’s Ministry of Health has not identified the facility, but told National Observer the cases there were not fatal and the outbreak at the long-term care facility is now over.
On April 17, the Alberta government said it gave contact information for infected people to provinces dealing with Kearl Lake infections.
But B.C. struggled to track down everyone in the province who had been at Kearl Lake, and Dr. Henry issued public pleas for those who worked at the site to self-isolate for 14 days.
“It has been a challenging process, as we don't all have contact information for everyone,” Dr. Henry said on April 28.
At least 16 COVID-19 cases in B.C. were linked to Kearl Lake, not including close contacts of workers who were carrying the virus.
Meanwhile, northwestern Saskatchewan has also become a COVID-19 hotspot after a Kearl Lake worker carried the virus home. Three cases in the area have been directly linked to the oilsands, the Saskatchewan Health Authority said.
In addition to the two elders who died, a third is in the ICU, Laliberte said. Non-essential travel in the region is now restricted.
The Dene village of La Loche, a community of 2,800 people located a six-hour drive north of Saskatoon, declared an outbreak on April 17. In the winter, an ice road connects La Loche to the oilsands, where many residents work.
The far north of the province, a region which includes La Loche and several other Indigenous communities, had reported more than 200 cases Monday. About 150 were active, making up the bulk of Saskatchewan’s remaining cases.
“As far as I know, they’re oilsands-caused,” Laliberte said.
Fighting the virus in northwestern Saskatchewan has been difficult and costly, Laliberte said. It was hard to get access to personal protective equipment, and many people need extra help, as they live in crowded conditions that make it difficult to self-isolate at home.
Remote First Nations are also already at higher risk from COVID-19 due to lack of access to health care and systemic inequities.
“We’re innocent,” Laliberte said. “No one asked for the virus and no one asked to spread it... Can we send the bill to Alberta?”
James Winkel, a spokesperson for the Saskatchewan Health Authority, said the province now has officials on the ground for “aggressive” contact tracing in a bid to slow the spread of the virus.
“Our results are paying off,” Winkel said in an email. “We’re seeing a lowering trend in the number of positive cases in La Loche, but at the same time expect some cases to arise as a result of the more aggressive testing underway in this area of the province.”
Saskatchewan has issued a “precautionary advisory” asking people returning from northern Alberta to self-isolate for 14 days. B.C. has ordered workers returning home from Kearl to self-isolate, as have Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia, which have reported one Kearl Lake-related case each.
Dr. Singh said based on case numbers alone, it appears that asking workers to self-isolate once they’re home isn’t working on its own. But the entire country is facing an unprecedented situation where people are having to balance economic concerns with health-related ones, and there are no one-size-fits-all answers, she added.
“Given that transmission has already been documented (from the oilsands), the question is what is the next level of measures that need to be taken,” she said. “We have to reassess on a daily basis, it seems.”
‘It’s an issue of political will’
Of the 106 COVID-19 cases linked to Kearl Lake, 74 have since recovered. The Alberta government has also created a set of protocols to halt the spread of the virus in camps, including screening of workers, disinfection practices and changes that allow physical distancing.
When a worker tests positive, anyone on or offsite who may have been infected must immediately self-isolate for 14 days.
“The fact that the number of cases at Kearl are comparatively low after almost a month suggests control measures have been quite effective,” said McMillan, the Alberta Health spokesperson. The B.C. Ministry of Health said its officials had not drawn any conclusions about whether the Kearl Lake cases appear to be levelling off.
McGowan said the Kearl Lake outbreak has been managed better than Alberta’s other high-profile industrial COVID-19 hotspot, a Cargill meat plant south of Calgary that has the largest outbreak in Canada. But it still could have been handled better, he added.
“Here in Alberta, our province’s response to COVID-19 has been a story of success in the public and a failure in workplaces,” he said. “Infections never remain in the workplace, they’re also carried out into the community. So in that way, by failing to deal with workplace infections and outbreaks, our provincial government has essentially been undermining their attempts to stop the spread in the community.”
The Oil Sands Community Alliance, a division of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers lobby group, says that fly-in workers are crucial in the oilsands. Some sites would be a 90-minute or even three-hour drive from Fort McMurray, and it would be impractical for them to commute by car every day.
McGowan said he doesn’t buy that workers from other provinces are necessary. There are plenty of out-of-work tradespeople in Alberta, he said, and limiting fly-in work could prevent infections from spreading outside the province.
“It’s an issue of political will and misplaced priorities,” he added.
“This needs to be driven home more, especially now as our province and other provinces consider reopening and sending people back to work.”
Meanwhile, two other oilsands operators have reported COVID-19 cases. Those aren’t considered ‘outbreaks’ as Alberta Health Services has not found evidence the virus was transmitted at the sites. Four cases were reported at a camp at Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.’s Horizon site, which uses rotational workers, while two were reported at Syncrude, which doesn’t have fly-in, fly-out staff.


nationalobserver--2020-05-12--COVID-19 deaths pass 5,000 in Canada

COVID-19 deaths pass 5,000 in Canada

Canada 's death toll from COVID-19 passed the 5,000-mark on Tuesday as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the pandemic had exposed serious cracks in Canada 's hard hit long-term care that governments will have to fix .
As he pledged new financial help for seniors , Trudeau noted nursing homes fall under provincial jurisdiction but said Ottawa will help provinces improve the system once the pandemic emergency is over .
He gave no details .
The help for seniors will see the federal government send $ 300 cheques to millions of people who qualify for old age security , plus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income supplement .
`` They are facing additional costs , '' Trudeau said .
`` We need to support people right now . ''
Canada 's caseload of COVID-19 climbed above 71,000 on Tuesday , with at least 5,167 of those fatal .
Most deaths have been in long-term care facilities • Yes , oil is dead .
Just read the writing on the wall .
• Wood pellets from clear-cut , old-growth forests may not be carbon neutral • Pipeline projects , the pandemic and the question journalists fail to ask Quebec @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a total of 3,131 .
Ontario , which extended its state of emergency to June 2 , reported a modest 1.8 per cent increase of 361 new cases along with 56 more deaths , meaning 1,725 people in the province have died from the virus .
New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador reported no new cases .
The impact of the pandemic will likely be felt well into the future , Canada 's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said .
The country wo n't see mass gatherings , non-essential travel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time soon , she said .
`` A lot of what fundamentally characterizes Canadian daily life will not look the same , '' Tam said .
`` The new normal means that Canadians — each and every one of us — continue to observe some very core public health practices .
One of the most difficult is staying home when you 're sick . ''
One longer-term effect is being felt at universities whose campuses have been shut down .
Several schools have said classes will be primarily online when the new academic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Griffin Schwartz , expressed disappointment at having to take classes remotely for the start of his final year .
`` This past semester we had two weeks of online classes , '' said Schwartz , a third-year honours physics student at McGill .
`` They 're not the same .
It 's a lot harder to pay attention , focus , and just motivate myself to do the work . ''
Conditions in the country 's prisons have become the subject of a new COVID-related lawsuit , with human rights organizations filing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over prisoner safety .
In all , 333 federal inmates have been infected , two fatally , as have scores of guards .
COVID-19 deaths pass 5,000 in Canada ; seniors to get direct financial aid Several groups have been calling for a controlled release of prisoners to allow for physical distancing , along with sharply higher testing for inmates and correctional staff .
Anti-pandemic measures , which have shut down a wide range of sports and entertainment , prompted the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto to cancel this year 's 18-day event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ popular fair has only cancelled once before in its 142-year history , during the Second World War .
With large-scale events cancelled around the globe , an ill-considered social media post that sparked cries of racism prompted an apology from Canadian rocker Bryan Adams , whose gig in England was scrapped because of coronavirus fears .
Adams had blamed the pandemic on `` bat eating , wet market animal selling , virus making greedy bastards . ''
The singer apologized on Tuesday to `` any and all that took offence , '' saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` animal cruelty in the wet markets . ''
Globally , more than 4.3 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported , with deaths approaching 300,000 .
Back in Ottawa , Trudeau was non-committal on reopening the border with the United States even though the two countries have discussed plans to deal with higher cross-border traffic as states and provinces begin reopening .
Only essential travel has been allowed since March , but the partial closure was set to expire next week .

Canada's death toll from COVID-19 passed the 5,000-mark on Tuesday as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the pandemic had exposed serious cracks in Canada's hard hit long-term care that governments will have to fix. As he pledged new financial help for seniors, Trudeau noted nursing homes fall under provincial jurisdiction but said Ottawa will help provinces improve the system once the pandemic emergency is over. He gave no details. The help for seniors will see the federal government send $300 cheques to millions of people who qualify for old age security, plus $200 for those receiving the guaranteed income supplement. "They are facing additional costs," Trudeau said. "We need to support people right now." Canada's caseload of COVID-19 climbed above 71,000 on Tuesday, with at least 5,167 of those fatal. Most deaths have been in long-term care facilities
Quebec accounted for 118 new deaths, for a total of 3,131. Ontario, which extended its state of emergency to June 2, reported a modest 1.8 per cent increase of 361 new cases along with 56 more deaths, meaning 1,725 people in the province have died from the virus. New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador reported no new cases. The impact of the pandemic will likely be felt well into the future, Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said. The country won't see mass gatherings, non-essential travel, or everyone leaving home for work any time soon, she said. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "A lot of what fundamentally characterizes Canadian daily life will not look the same," Tam said. "The new normal means that Canadians — each and every one of us — continue to observe some very core public health practices. One of the most difficult is staying home when you're sick."
One longer-term effect is being felt at universities whose campuses have been shut down. Several schools have said classes will be primarily online when the new academic year begins in September. One student, Griffin Schwartz, expressed disappointment at having to take classes remotely for the start of his final year. COVID-19 deaths pass 5,000 in Canada; seniors to get direct financial aid "This past semester we had two weeks of online classes," said Schwartz, a third-year honours physics student at McGill. "They're not the same. It's a lot harder to pay attention, focus, and just motivate myself to do the work." Conditions in the country's prisons have become the subject of a new COVID-related lawsuit, with human rights organizations filing a constitutional challenge against the federal government over prisoner safety. In all, 333 federal inmates have been infected, two fatally, as have scores of guards. Several groups have been calling for a controlled release of prisoners to allow for physical distancing, along with sharply higher testing for inmates and correctional staff. Anti-pandemic measures, which have shut down a wide range of sports and entertainment, prompted the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto to cancel this year's 18-day event due to start Aug. 21. The popular fair has only cancelled once before in its 142-year history, during the Second World War.
With large-scale events cancelled around the globe, an ill-considered social media post that sparked cries of racism prompted an apology from Canadian rocker Bryan Adams, whose gig in England was scrapped because of coronavirus fears. Adams had blamed the pandemic on "bat eating, wet market animal selling, virus making greedy bastards." The singer apologized on Tuesday to "any and all that took offence," saying he was promoting veganism and ranting about "animal cruelty in the wet markets." Globally, more than 4.3 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported, with deaths approaching 300,000.


nationalobserver--2020-05-12--Clean your cash carefully: Bank of Canada

If you must launder your money , do it carefully , advises the Bank of Canada .
The bank says it has tested the notes for durability against common household products .
`` Repeated contact with substances such as bleach and ethanol resulted in damage that could make the notes unrecognizable as legitimate money , '' says spokeswoman Amelie Ferron-Craig .
`` We therefore do not recommend using these substances to disinfect your bank notes . ''
Concerns about the novel coronavirus being spread through the exchange of cash have been circulating worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic .
In China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggested used bank notes have been isolated and disinfected .
• Yes , oil is dead .
Just read the writing on the wall .
• Wood pellets from clear-cut , old-growth forests may not be carbon neutral • Pipeline projects , the pandemic and the question journalists fail to ask Research from the United States has found filthy lucre contaminated with staphylococci , salmonella , E. coli , influenza , MERS and hepatitis A .
A 2017 article in Scientific American said Canadian polymer-based bills tend to carry fewer viruses and bacteria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as the U.S. greenback .
An attempt by The Canadian Press to wipe down our plastic cash with the disinfectant Lysol started removing the pigment .
`` We have not conducted tests with Lysol and can not comment on its impact on bank notes , '' says Ferron-Craig .
The bank says the health risks posed by handling cash are the same as those from touching other common surfaces such as doorknobs , kitchen counters and handrails .
The bank advises Canadians handling money should wash their hands often .
That 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Organization to anyone dealing in cash — wash your hands afterwards , especially if you 're about to eat or prepare food .
Clean your cash carefully if concerned over COVID : Bank of Canada `` If you want to take additional safety precautions , you can clean your polymer bank notes with a bit of soap and water since they are resistant to moisture , '' Craig-Ferron suggests .
`` Note that this is not the case for older paper bank notes . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was @ @ @ @ @ @

If you must launder your money, do it carefully, advises the Bank of Canada.
The bank says it has tested the notes for durability against common household products.
"Repeated contact with substances such as bleach and ethanol resulted in damage that could make the notes unrecognizable as legitimate money," says spokeswoman Amelie Ferron-Craig.
"We therefore do not recommend using these substances to disinfect your bank notes."
Concerns about the novel coronavirus being spread through the exchange of cash have been circulating worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. In China, for example, media reports have suggested used bank notes have been isolated and disinfected.


nationalobserver--2020-05-12--Canada-U.S. border to have strong screening measures, Trudeau promises

The federal government is planning stronger measures to deal with a looming influx of people arriving from the United States , a clear sign Canada is bracing for the realities of life after lockdown while living next door to the world 's largest COVID-19 hotspot .
The gradual reopening of businesses and easing of mobility restrictions in both countries will likely mean an increase in cross-border traffic , and with it the need for additional steps to ensure new arrivals are adhering to self-isolation protocols , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday .
`` We are looking at stronger measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up appropriately on people who come over , '' Trudeau said during his daily briefing outside his Rideau Cottage residence .
`` The United States appreciates Canada 's close and constant co-operation regarding the management of the border during this unprecedented crisis , '' acting U.S. ambassador to Canada Richard Mills said in an unsolicited statement Tuesday .
Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun has been hosting weekly calls with his Canadian and Mexican counterparts since March 19 `` to share best practices in responding to the unique and complex challenges presented by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopening our economies and commerce , '' the State Department said .
Deciding what to do about the border is not only a matter of assessing the overall threat from the U.S. , but also ensuring that the ability to test , track , isolate and quarantine is in place to properly deal with new arrivals , said Dr. Theresa Tam , Canada 's chief public officer of health .
`` It is something we will have to watch really carefully so that it is not an issue that 's going to overwhelm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tam , who urged `` extreme caution '' in deciding when and how to begin lifting travel restrictions .
`` We need to be able to see what happens when we ease the domestic public health measures before we can essentially look at the international border easing up , '' she said .
`` The virus is in essentially all countries and jurisdictions of the world , and they 're all at different stages in their epidemiology , so part of that will be looking at that aspect of what 's going on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. , public health officials have also been urging a gradual , cautious approach — though whether the advice is being heeded remains an open question .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , the pre-eminent U.S. expert on infectious diseases , warned a Senate committee in Washington of the dangers of state governments flouting federal guidelines for restarting the economy .
`` The consequences could be really serious , '' said Fauci , who testified via videoconference from a self-imposed quarantine after a senior aide to Vice-President Mike Pence tested positive for the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you will trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control — which in fact , paradoxically , will set you back , not only leading to some suffering and death that could be avoided , but could even set you back on the road to economic recovery . ''
Peter Loewen , a political science professor at the University of Toronto , said Trump 's recent tendency to grasp at straws , such as by musing about the promise of UV light and disinfectants , suggest he 's feeling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and willing to take his chances .
`` I think he 's in that psychological state where he 's willing to gamble , '' Loewen said .
`` Trump realizes that he 's staring down a large number of deaths , so he 's willing to basically roll the dice . ''
Ongoing talks between Canada and the U.S. , both on the border as well as other matters of mutual interest , have been positive and constructive , Trudeau said .
But whatever the outcome , it will be governed in Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
`` Preventing transmission from outside of Canada into Canada , once we have controlled the spread within Canada , will be an essential part of ensuring that we do n't fall back into a second wave that could be as serious as this wave we 're going through , or even more so , '' he said .
`` So we 're going to be very , very careful about reopening any international travel , including the United States , before we feel that it is time . ''
This report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 12 , 2020 .

The federal government is planning stronger measures to deal with a looming influx of people arriving from the United States, a clear sign Canada is bracing for the realities of life after lockdown while living next door to the world's largest COVID-19 hotspot. The gradual reopening of businesses and easing of mobility restrictions in both countries will likely mean an increase in cross-border traffic, and with it the need for additional steps to ensure new arrivals are adhering to self-isolation protocols, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday. "We are looking at stronger measures to make sure that we're following up appropriately on people who come over," Trudeau said during his daily briefing outside his Rideau Cottage residence. "As economic activity starts to ramp up, as restrictions get loosened across countries, it is likely that we see either a few more people returning home or a few more people trying to cross the border, and we need to make sure that the measures we bring forward are going to keep Canadians safe." The mutual bilateral ban on non-essential travel, an agreement that initially went into effect in March and was extended by an additional 30 days last month, is now scheduled to expire May 21. Trudeau would not say whether he expects the restrictions to be extended a second time.
Provincial leaders, in particular Ontario's Doug Ford, have made it clear they don't want visitors from the U.S., currently home to more than a million active cases of COVID-19. To date, the disease has killed more than 82,000 Americans, the highest death toll in any single country. President Donald Trump, meanwhile — trying to get re-elected in November on the heels of the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression — has been aggressively lobbying states to get residents back to work and refire the country's economic engines. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The government's recent rhetoric on the border, combined with a rare public acknowledgment Tuesday from the U.S. State Department of the continuing co-operation across North America, suggests the ongoing talks may have moved into a new phase.
"The United States appreciates Canada's close and constant co-operation regarding the management of the border during this unprecedented crisis," acting U.S. ambassador to Canada Richard Mills said in an unsolicited statement Tuesday. Trudeau promises 'stronger measures' for screening at Canada-U.S. border Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun has been hosting weekly calls with his Canadian and Mexican counterparts since March 19 "to share best practices in responding to the unique and complex challenges presented by the global pandemic and planning for safely reopening our economies and commerce," the State Department said. Deciding what to do about the border is not only a matter of assessing the overall threat from the U.S., but also ensuring that the ability to test, track, isolate and quarantine is in place to properly deal with new arrivals, said Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public officer of health. "It is something we will have to watch really carefully so that it is not an issue that's going to overwhelm our public health capacity," said Tam, who urged "extreme caution" in deciding when and how to begin lifting travel restrictions. "We need to be able to see what happens when we ease the domestic public health measures before we can essentially look at the international border easing up," she said.
"The virus is in essentially all countries and jurisdictions of the world, and they're all at different stages in their epidemiology, so part of that will be looking at that aspect of what's going on in the other country." In the U.S., public health officials have also been urging a gradual, cautious approach — though whether the advice is being heeded remains an open question. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the pre-eminent U.S. expert on infectious diseases, warned a Senate committee in Washington of the dangers of state governments flouting federal guidelines for restarting the economy. "The consequences could be really serious," said Fauci, who testified via videoconference from a self-imposed quarantine after a senior aide to Vice-President Mike Pence tested positive for the virus.


nationalobserver--2020-05-12--Poverty and COVID-19: More data would help explain the connection

The borough is one of the poorest on the island of Montreal .
And there ’ s emerging evidence that it has become one of the city ’ s hot spots for COVID-19 infections , according to an analysis by the Institute of Investigative Journalism ’ s Project Pandemic , a collaborative mapping effort mobilizing journalists across the country using Esri ArcGIS technology .
“ I ’ m not even done .
My day starts at nine in the morning and finishes at about 12 at night , ” says the co-founder of Hoodstock , a local initiative in Montreal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives in the community .
It is another busy day for Will Prosper .
Canada ’ s National Observer and CTV News teamed up to use this map to tell a story about the pressure building on the country ’ s politicians and public health authorities to find out why COVID-19 is wreaking such havoc in communities such as Montreal North .
As of Monday , cases in Montreal North reached 1,791 , nearly 10 per cent of the city 's total , according to Montreal 's public health department .
Herriot is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downtown Toronto and former co-chair of Health Providers Against Poverty , a non-partisan coalition of health providers .
If low-income neighbourhoods continue as COVID-19 breeding grounds , then communities outside those hot spots will never be safe , because the virus ignores borders .
Photo credit : provided by Health Providers Against Poverty This map you ’ re telling me about from Montreal “ will shine a light on something that academics and physicians broadly have known for years , ” says Dr. Jonathon Herriot , after learning about the map detailing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s just the frustration of knowing that nothing is being done and seeing people around you dying.
” This is why he and other advocates at Hoodstock have turned that anger and frustration into something they believe is more positive : delivering masks , hand sanitizer and other protective equipment to keep people safe .
“ The reality is , when you live in a high-density population , you ’ re close to your neighbour .
You ’ re close to everybody else .
You don ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re going to contaminate yourself.
” Montreal North has the lowest average after-tax household income -- $ 45,909 -- of all Montreal 's 34 boroughs , according an analysis of 2016 census data that Statistics Canada conducted for National Observer .
( You can download the spreadsheet that contains the numbers by clicking here . )
He grew up in Montreal North .
He knows about the poverty , the substandard living conditions of people crowded into high rises , and the workers who barely make ends meet by working in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the front lines : long-term care homes and grocery stores .
“ Low-income people tend to be in more precarious lines of work : front-line , minimum-wage workers who had to continue working through the coronavirus pandemic .
And being more low-income to start with can lead you to take on more precarious work.
” “ COVID-19 will thrive when you don ’ t have the resources to physically distance from one another , whether that is crowded housing , living in a rooming house , living in a homeless shelter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Through his medical training , Herriot says he had mentors who stressed the ways in which factors such as income , education and housing impact health .
He says that if low-income neighbourhoods continue as COVID-19 breeding grounds , then communities outside those hot spots will never be safe , because the virus ignores borders .
Contamination hot spots in Ontario are emerging from the data Laura Rosella has compiled .
She ’ s an epidemiologist and an associate professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Artificial Intelligence , and holds scientific appointments at ICES and Public Health Ontario .
Her research , which maps socio-economic data shows results similar to those of Montreal — high infection rates in poor neighbourhoods .
“ So , 26 per cent of the cases are coming from low-income areas , versus 13 per cent of the cases from high-income areas .
The same differential plays out for deaths in those neighbourhoods : 22 per cent versus 11 per cent , respectively .
Given this emerging evidence out of Ontario and Montreal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Poverty says he is heartened to hear health authorities talk about collecting more data .
“ We don ’ t know when COVID-19 is going to be resolved .
This might be something impacting Canada for years and impacting those in more vulnerable positions like low income disproportionately for years .
In order to keep everyone safe , we have to protect our most vulnerable.
” On May 5 , Toronto ’ s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa echoed the concerns of Dr. Jonathon Herriot , Laura Rosella , Will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that socio-economic conditions such as income , housing and race are factors in the spread of COVID-19 .
“ Today , Dr. de Villa explained preliminary findings suggesting COVID-19 may be disproportionately affecting certain people in our city , ” read the news release .
“ Toronto Public Health preliminary analysis suggests that people living in areas that have the highest proportion of low-income earners , recent immigrants and high unemployment rates had higher rates of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations .
“ To better understand and strengthen capacity to address these issues , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the case and contact tracing management process .
Beginning soon , staff will be asking all people who test positive for COVID-19 about their race , income , household size , Indigenous identity , and First Nation status.
” The next day , Ontario ’ s chief medical officer of health , Dr. David Williams , told reporters that the province would widen its data collection to include vulnerable residents who live in what he called “ congregate settings.
” Apart from singling out Indigenous Peoples and those who live in homeless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ province ’ s associate chief medical officer of health , Dr. Barbara Jaffe , provided further details about when officials would begin collecting this data .
The same day , Dr. Horacio Arruda , Quebec ’ s top doctor , said the province would begin collecting race-based data .
“ Yes , this information will be collected , ” he assured reporters .
This is the kind of announcement that the Montreal-based Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations ( CRARR ) has been waiting to hear .
“ Certainly , we need more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data , ” says the centre ’ s executive director Fo Niemi .
“ Medical associations in the United States and United Kingdom have come up to call for greater data ( to ) better measure the rate of infection among different … groups .
The Canadian medical establishment and public health establishment have to act quickly on this issue.
” Laura Rosella from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health , who began publishing her findings last month , says she 's doing her best to act quickly .
She also points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other jurisdictions that are experiencing second waves of the pandemic and the disproportionate effect on people living in low-income neighbourhoods .
This is why she would like to see health officials in this country pay closer attention to the research that epidemiologists are doing .
“ We can ’ t be flying blind .
We need to understand what happened and what is happening .
Who this is affecting and why ?
” Look to long-term care facilities for context Experts like Rosella say additional context is important as politicians and health authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s happening in low-income neighbourhoods because they endure similar structural deficits as long-term care homes , especially overcrowding .
With nursing homes , it has become clear that in order to keep residents safe , long-term and possibly costly solutions will be necessary .
Housing four residents to a room makes physical distancing impossible .
Low-income neighborhoods are dealing with problems similar to the ones in nursing homes .
In low-income neighbourhoods , substandard housing conditions create breeding grounds for the virus .
Health officials report that long-term care home residents become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work in more than one facility in order to cobble together a living wage .
Officials also report that in low-income neighbourhoods , low-wage earners face risks by taking public transit and working at jobs where crowded conditions are impossible to avoid .
They return to their homes and spread the virus .
The evidence is in the research emerging from Montreal and Ontario .
“ Obviously , it has been horrific what ’ s happening in long-term care , says Rosella .
“ But as people have grappled with it , what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ ve been saying , ‘ There are systemic issues .
There are structural problems.
’ It ’ s not that different ( with poverty ) .
” Hoodstock ’ s Will Prosper is eager to continue on with the task at hand in Montreal North .
In addition to handing out masks , gloves and hand sanitizers , which he gets from donations and from the city , he spends a lot of his time trying to educate people about the need to protect themselves and others .
“ Some businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and not want to buy food from establishments where workers are wearing masks ” , he says , his voice rising in disbelief .
“ And we said , ‘ No , it ’ s exactly the opposite .
People are more reassured when they see you with a mask because you are taking care of them.
’ ” Prosper and the other volunteers operate in pairs on either side of a neighbourhood street , carrying bags of protective equipment in large sacks .
And when people descend from their apartments , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And we have lots of conversations.
” Once the sacks are emptied , he checks to see that there are enough masks for the morning .
On this particular day , he has a task that deviates from his normal routine : a meeting with volunteers about making a video that will promote wearing a mask as something that is “ trendy.
” He says education is key because people need to understand the risks and measures they should be taking to stay safe .
The way those messages are delivered is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vehicle of choice .
But in order for people to take the message seriously , Prosper wants to make sure that the production is not too “ cheesy.
” Making sure the message hits home could be a matter of life and death .
“ Project Pandemic : Canada Reports on COVID-19 ” is a national collaboration bringing together journalists and journalism students from news organizations and universities across Canada to gather information as a public service .
The consortium draws on data gathered by governmental health authorities , journalists and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coordinated by Concordia University ’ s Institute for Investigative Journalism , with the support of the Canadian Association of Journalists .
For the full list of credits , please visit concordia.ca/projectpandemic .

(On the map, seen above, confirmed COVID-19 cases are represented by grey dots. Median household incomes are mapped by colour. Click anywhere to interact with the map and keep scrolling for more.)
The borough is one of the poorest on the island of Montreal. And there’s emerging evidence that it has become one of the city’s hot spots for COVID-19 infections, according to an analysis by the Institute of Investigative Journalism’s Project Pandemic, a collaborative mapping effort mobilizing journalists across the country using Esri ArcGIS technology.
“I’m not even done. My day starts at nine in the morning and finishes at about 12 at night,” says the co-founder of Hoodstock, a local initiative in Montreal North, about his quest to save lives in the community.
It is another busy day for Will Prosper.
Canada’s National Observer and CTV News teamed up to use this map to tell a story about the pressure building on the country’s politicians and public health authorities to find out why COVID-19 is wreaking such havoc in communities such as Montreal North.
As of Monday, cases in Montreal North reached 1,791, nearly 10 per cent of the city's total, according to Montreal's public health department.
“It’s just the frustration of knowing that nothing is being done and seeing people around you dying.”
This is why he and other advocates at Hoodstock have turned that anger and frustration into something they believe is more positive: delivering masks, hand sanitizer and other protective equipment to keep people safe.
“The reality is, when you live in a high-density population, you’re close to your neighbour. You’re close to everybody else. You don’t have the right protection. Of course, you’re going to contaminate yourself.”
Montreal North has the lowest average after-tax household income -- $45,909 -- of all Montreal's 34 boroughs, according an analysis of 2016 census data that Statistics Canada conducted for National Observer. (You can download the spreadsheet that contains the numbers by clicking here .)
He grew up in Montreal North. He knows about the poverty, the substandard living conditions of people crowded into high rises, and the workers who barely make ends meet by working in places that have now become known collectively as the front lines: long-term care homes and grocery stores.
If low-income neighbourhoods continue as COVID-19 breeding grounds, then communities outside those hot spots will never be safe, because the virus ignores borders. Photo credit: provided by Health Providers Against Poverty
This map you’re telling me about from Montreal “will shine a light on something that academics and physicians broadly have known for years,” says Dr. Jonathon Herriot, after learning about the map detailing the concentration of COVID-19 infections in Montreal North.
Herriot is a family physician and HIV specialist in downtown Toronto and former co-chair of Health Providers Against Poverty, a non-partisan coalition of health providers.
Through his medical training, Herriot says he had mentors who stressed the ways in which factors such as income, education and housing impact health.
“COVID-19 will thrive when you don’t have the resources to physically distance from one another, whether that is crowded housing, living in a rooming house, living in a homeless shelter, or having to use public transit.
“Low-income people tend to be in more precarious lines of work: front-line, minimum-wage workers who had to continue working through the coronavirus pandemic. And being more low-income to start with can lead you to take on more precarious work.”
He says that if low-income neighbourhoods continue as COVID-19 breeding grounds, then communities outside those hot spots will never be safe, because the virus ignores borders.
Contamination hot spots in Ontario are emerging from the data Laura Rosella has compiled. She’s an epidemiologist and an associate professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, faculty member in the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and holds scientific appointments at ICES and Public Health Ontario.
Her research, which maps socio-economic data shows results similar to those of Montreal — high infection rates in poor neighbourhoods.
Laura Rosella from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health also points to the lessons Canada can learn from other jurisdictions
that are experiencing second waves of the pandemic and the disproportionate effect on people living in low-income neighbourhoods. Photo credit: Jaclyn Atlas
“So, 26 per cent of the cases are coming from low-income areas, versus 13 per cent of the cases from high-income areas.
The same differential plays out for deaths in those neighbourhoods: 22 per cent versus 11 per cent, respectively.
Given this emerging evidence out of Ontario and Montreal, Dr. Herriot from Health Providers Against Poverty says he is heartened to hear health authorities talk about collecting more data.
“We don’t know when COVID-19 is going to be resolved. This might be something impacting Canada for years and impacting those in more vulnerable positions like low income disproportionately for years. In order to keep everyone safe, we have to protect our most vulnerable.”
Health authorities vow to take action
On May 5, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa echoed the concerns of Dr. Jonathon Herriot, Laura Rosella, Will Prosper and other advocates, who suspect that socio-economic conditions such as income, housing and race are factors in the spread of COVID-19.
“Today, Dr. de Villa explained preliminary findings suggesting COVID-19 may be disproportionately affecting certain people in our city,” read the news release.
“Toronto Public Health preliminary analysis suggests that people living in areas that have the highest proportion of low-income earners, recent immigrants and high unemployment rates had higher rates of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
“To better understand and strengthen capacity to address these issues, Toronto Public Health is adding socio-demographic questions to the case and contact tracing management process. Beginning soon, staff will be asking all people who test positive for COVID-19 about their race, income, household size, Indigenous identity, and First Nation status.”
The next day, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. David Williams, told reporters that the province would widen its data collection to include vulnerable residents who live in what he called “congregate settings.”
Apart from singling out Indigenous Peoples and those who live in homeless shelters, neither Dr. Williams nor the province’s associate chief medical officer of health, Dr. Barbara Jaffe, provided further details about when officials would begin collecting this data.
The same day, Dr. Horacio Arruda, Quebec’s top doctor, said the province would begin collecting race-based data. “Yes, this information will be collected,” he assured reporters.
This is the kind of announcement that the Montreal-based Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR) has been waiting to hear.
“Certainly, we need more of that cross-tabulation of all kinds of data,” says the centre’s executive director Fo Niemi.
“Medical associations in the United States and United Kingdom have come up to call for greater data (to) better measure the rate of infection among different … groups. The Canadian medical establishment and public health establishment have to act quickly on this issue.”
Laura Rosella from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, who began publishing her findings last month, says she's doing her best to act quickly. She also points to the lessons Canada can learn from other jurisdictions that are experiencing second waves of the pandemic and the disproportionate effect on people living in low-income neighbourhoods.
This is why she would like to see health officials in this country pay closer attention to the research that epidemiologists are doing.
“We can’t be flying blind. We need to understand what happened and what is happening. Who this is affecting and why?”
Look to long-term care facilities for context
Experts like Rosella say additional context is important as politicians and health authorities begin to weigh the significance of what’s happening in low-income neighbourhoods because they endure similar structural deficits as long-term care homes, especially overcrowding.
With nursing homes, it has become clear that in order to keep residents safe, long-term and possibly costly solutions will be necessary. Housing four residents to a room makes physical distancing impossible.
Low-income neighborhoods are dealing with problems similar to the ones in nursing homes.
In low-income neighbourhoods, substandard housing conditions create breeding grounds for the virus.
Health officials report that long-term care home residents become infected by personal support workers who must work in more than one facility in order to cobble together a living wage.
Officials also report that in low-income neighbourhoods, low-wage earners face risks by taking public transit and working at jobs where crowded conditions are impossible to avoid. They return to their homes and spread the virus.
The evidence is in the research emerging from Montreal and Ontario.
“Obviously, it has been horrific what’s happening in long-term care, says Rosella. “But as people have grappled with it, what have they been saying? Well, they’ve been saying, ‘There are systemic issues. There are structural problems.’ It’s not that different (with poverty).”
Meanwhile, back in Montreal North
Hoodstock’s Will Prosper is eager to continue on with the task at hand in Montreal North. In addition to handing out masks, gloves and hand sanitizers, which he gets from donations and from the city, he spends a lot of his time trying to educate people about the need to protect themselves and others.
“Some businesses are afraid that customers would be scared and not want to buy food from establishments where workers are wearing masks”, he says, his voice rising in disbelief.
“And we said, ‘No, it’s exactly the opposite. People are more reassured when they see you with a mask because you are taking care of them.’”
Prosper and the other volunteers operate in pairs on either side of a neighbourhood street, carrying bags of protective equipment in large sacks. And when people descend from their apartments, they distribute the masks and gel. “And we have lots of conversations.”
Once the sacks are emptied, he checks to see that there are enough masks for the morning.
On this particular day, he has a task that deviates from his normal routine: a meeting with volunteers about making a video that will promote wearing a mask as something that is “trendy.”
He says education is key because people need to understand the risks and measures they should be taking to stay safe. The way those messages are delivered is also important, which is why video is the vehicle of choice.
But in order for people to take the message seriously, Prosper wants to make sure that the production is not too “cheesy.”
Making sure the message hits home could be a matter of life and death.
“Project Pandemic: Canada Reports on COVID-19” is a national collaboration bringing together journalists and journalism students from news organizations and universities across Canada to gather information as a public service. The consortium draws on data gathered by governmental health authorities, journalists and the non-profit platform Flatten.ca. This project is coordinated by Concordia University’s Institute for Investigative Journalism, with the support of the Canadian Association of Journalists. For the full list of credits, please visit concordia.ca/projectpandemic.


nationalobserver--2020-05-13--Post-pandemic the arts will need our support

Our lives have changed in so many ways during the extraordinary times of the COVID-19 pandemic .
We all applaud the bravery and dedication of essential workers in our health system , food chain , deliveries , safety , and more .
Meanwhile , we have stayed at home and not seen extended family members and friends .
How have we managed the physical isolation and social distancing ?
Have you been watching movies , reading books , listening to or making music , or learning how to draw and paint ?
Artists have generously given their creative gifts through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s technologies , we are the beneficiaries .
I laud artists and arts organizations of all disciplines for sustaining us in these hard times .
They have enriched our souls and provided for our mental health .
They supported us with a vigil for Nova Scotia ’ s tragedy .
They rallied the nation with Stronger Together in aid of Canada ’ s food banks .
Music is a powerful conduit for all our emotions , and I thank all who have shared , and are sharing , their talents .
Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key to the fabric of society , in good times and hard times , especially for our mental and physical health .
Throughout history , creators have given hope , dreams , insights , and portrayed their times and places .
Arts and cultural industries are Canada ’ s third-largest employer , but the situation for artists is precarious .
They are the largest proportion of Canada ’ s working poor living below the poverty line .
During the pandemic ’ s early stages , artists and arts organizations honestly shared their concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and with a working group of senators .
Their candour helped define the emergency assistance programs for the sector , a necessary , basic sustenance .
• 'Alberta didn ’ t contain it ' : COVID-19 outbreak at oilsands camp has spread across the country • Yes , oil is dead .
Just read the writing on the wall .
• Wood pellets from clear-cut , old-growth forests may not be carbon neutral Provinces and territories are now outlining their plans to reopen following agreed guidelines .
Early in May , Manitoba ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the OK to open , while respecting the rules of social distancing , frequent hand washing , wearing of masks in certain circumstances , and constant cleaning of surfaces and public washrooms .
Some people are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to re-engage socially , at work and in leisure .
Others are concerned about our readiness , a second wave of the virus , or even another shutdown .
As we build new post-isolation normalcy , artists and our cultural sector will assuredly continue their significant contributions to our well-being .
We must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rightful place in real time .
The cancellations of theatre , dance and music seasons , summer festivals and the shuttering of galleries and museums have had disastrous financial implications .
Other serious challenges include the safety of audiences as we restart .
How do audiences and presenters rise above the fear of entering public spaces ?
We must assess the specific challenges to ensure audiences have the confidence to partake in creative events .
We must also ensure that artists can reclaim their careers and reschedule their cancelled performances and exhibitions at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the arts for 50 years this month , I remain committed to doing all I can to ensure the arts ’ platform is sound and solid so life can reach a positive “ new normalcy.
” As I have from the outset , I continue to seek ideas , defined needs , and potential opportunities , so going forward , we can assure that this essential element of contemporary society is healthy .
My late husband ’ s mantra was , “ We are all better off when we are all better off.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Canada ’ s creative sectors are better off so every aspect of our communities will also be better off .
Television , movies , advertising , innovation , mental health , business , education , and tourism are all dependent on the creative sector .
Having worked in the arts for 50 years this month , I remain committed to doing all I can to ensure the arts ’ platform is sound and solid so life can reach a positive “ new normalcy .
”

Our lives have changed in so many ways during the extraordinary times of the COVID-19 pandemic. We all applaud the bravery and dedication of essential workers in our health system, food chain, deliveries, safety, and more. Meanwhile, we have stayed at home and not seen extended family members and friends.
How have we managed the physical isolation and social distancing? Have you been watching movies, reading books, listening to or making music, or learning how to draw and paint? Artists have generously given their creative gifts through many digital platforms. Thanks to today’s technologies, we are the beneficiaries.
I laud artists and arts organizations of all disciplines for sustaining us in these hard times. They have enriched our souls and provided for our mental health. They supported us with a vigil for Nova Scotia’s tragedy. They rallied the nation with Stronger Together in aid of Canada’s food banks. Music is a powerful conduit for all our emotions, and I thank all who have shared, and are sharing, their talents.
Canada’s artists and arts organizations are key to the fabric of society, in good times and hard times, especially for our mental and physical health. Throughout history, creators have given hope, dreams, insights, and portrayed their times and places. Arts and cultural industries are Canada’s third-largest employer, but the situation for artists is precarious. They are the largest proportion of Canada’s working poor living below the poverty line.
During the pandemic’s early stages, artists and arts organizations honestly shared their concerns, issues and creative initiatives with me and with a working group of senators. Their candour helped define the emergency assistance programs for the sector, a necessary, basic sustenance.


nationalobserver--2020-05-14--Kenney slams China on handling of COVID-19, calls for North American 'onshoring'

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney added his voice to the anti-China chorus Wednesday , savaging the communist republic 's handling of the earliest days of the COVID-19 outbreak and urging Canada and the United States to join forces in bringing manufacturing capacity back to North America .
The country will soon face a `` great reckoning '' for its efforts to play down , obfuscate and cover up the dangers posed by the novel coronavirus when it first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan , Kenney told a virtual roundtable hosted by the Washington-based Canadian American Business Council .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Organization to prevent travel bans to and from outbreak hotspots and has refused to co-operate with the rest of the world 's efforts to get to the bottom of what happened , Kenney said .
`` I think the Chinese government played a significant role in the devastating public health and economic damage that is being experienced by the entire world , '' he said .
`` And I do not think we should just forget this and walk past it .
There must be some kind of a reckoning , there must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t contain it ' : COVID-19 outbreak at oilsands camp has spread across the country • Yes , oil is dead .
Just read the writing on the wall .
The White House and legislators on Capitol Hill are reportedly exploring ways to punish China for what they consider a coverup , refusing to co-operate with the WHO and keeping the virus , as well as evidence of dangerous human-to-human transmission , under wraps for nearly a week after COVID-19 was first detected — allegations China strenuously denies .
Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impose retaliatory measures , even as his administration tries to preserve its efforts to secure a long-term trade deal — something long seen as critical to the president 's re-election hopes .
Kenney , for his part , said China 's refusal to co-operate should be a cue for both Canada and the U.S. to start `` reshoring '' important manufacturing capacity from the country , particularly for all-important medical supplies like face masks , respirators and ventilators , all of which were in short supply around the world at the height of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Canada and the United States , must have a reset in their relationship with China — and part of that reset , in my judgment , must be a deliberate effort to onshore production , particularly on critical supplies . ''
Alberta 's petrochemical industry could be instrumental in helping to produce reagents , key elements in diagnostic testing , he added , `` so we are not dependent on a country whose strategic interests are not completely aligned with our own . ''
Indeed , Kenney made it clear that as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an economic shutdown and historically low oil prices , he intends to make the United States a linchpin in his recovery plan .
Despite the state of the energy market , the Alberta government is proceeding with plans to resurrect the Keystone XL pipeline project , which is designed to move oilsands bitumen from the northern part of the province through the U.S. to refineries on the Gulf Coast .
In a post-pandemic world where Canada and the U.S. are part of a single trading and security bloc , cross-border energy infrastructure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` I think we have an opportunity now — Americans generally , like Canadians , are going to be more focused on economic growth and issues like energy security , '' Kenney said .
`` I think public opinion is going to be swinging more strongly in favour of critical energy infrastructure , and this is an opportunity for us to solidify political support in the United States , going into this election season , for Canada-U.S. energy infrastructure . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May @ @ @ @

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney added his voice to the anti-China chorus Wednesday, savaging the communist republic's handling of the earliest days of the COVID-19 outbreak and urging Canada and the United States to join forces in bringing manufacturing capacity back to North America. The country will soon face a "great reckoning" for its efforts to play down, obfuscate and cover up the dangers posed by the novel coronavirus when it first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan, Kenney told a virtual roundtable hosted by the Washington-based Canadian American Business Council. It also sought to sway the World Health Organization to prevent travel bans to and from outbreak hotspots and has refused to co-operate with the rest of the world's efforts to get to the bottom of what happened, Kenney said. "I think the Chinese government played a significant role in the devastating public health and economic damage that is being experienced by the entire world," he said. "And I do not think we should just forget this and walk past it. There must be some kind of a reckoning, there must be some accountability."
The White House and legislators on Capitol Hill are reportedly exploring ways to punish China for what they consider a coverup, refusing to co-operate with the WHO and keeping the virus, as well as evidence of dangerous human-to-human transmission, under wraps for nearly a week after COVID-19 was first detected — allegations China strenuously denies. Trump has indicated he intends to seek damages and impose retaliatory measures, even as his administration tries to preserve its efforts to secure a long-term trade deal — something long seen as critical to the president's re-election hopes. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Kenney, for his part, said China's refusal to co-operate should be a cue for both Canada and the U.S. to start "reshoring" important manufacturing capacity from the country, particularly for all-important medical supplies like face masks, respirators and ventilators, all of which were in short supply around the world at the height of the crisis.
"Western countries, including Canada and the United States, must have a reset in their relationship with China — and part of that reset, in my judgment, must be a deliberate effort to onshore production, particularly on critical supplies." Kenney slams China's handling of COVID-19, urges North American 'onshoring' Alberta's petrochemical industry could be instrumental in helping to produce reagents, key elements in diagnostic testing, he added, "so we are not dependent on a country whose strategic interests are not completely aligned with our own." Indeed, Kenney made it clear that as the province reels from the one-two punch of an economic shutdown and historically low oil prices, he intends to make the United States a linchpin in his recovery plan. Despite the state of the energy market, the Alberta government is proceeding with plans to resurrect the Keystone XL pipeline project, which is designed to move oilsands bitumen from the northern part of the province through the U.S. to refineries on the Gulf Coast. In a post-pandemic world where Canada and the U.S. are part of a single trading and security bloc, cross-border energy infrastructure will play a central role, he said.


nationalobserver--2020-05-14--Fighting COVID-19 could set back fight against superbugs

Copious use of hand sanitizer and disinfectant is crucial in the fight against COVID-19 , but it could be setting Canada back in the battle against superbugs .
Microbiologists say antimicrobial resistant organisms , or superbugs , are a pandemic on the same scale as COVID-19 , though it will play out on a much longer timeline .
Antimicrobial resistance was directly responsible for 5,400 deaths in 2018 , according to a recent report by the Council of Canadian Academies .
If nothing is done , by 2050 there could be as many as 140,000 preventable deaths , and Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resistance could grow to $ 8 billion per year .
That 's why some of the images of the COVID-19 pandemic have been so disturbing for Dr. Lori Burrows , a professor of biochemical science at McMaster University .
• 'Alberta didn ’ t contain it ' : COVID-19 outbreak at oilsands camp has spread across the country • Yes , oil is dead .
Just read the writing on the wall .
`` I was a little freaked out by watching tanker trucks full of disinfectant being sprayed all over the street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It seems a little excessive to me . ''
Some experts worry even strictly necessary efforts to destroy the novel coronavirus linked to COVID-19 could actually drive some bacteria to become more resistant .
The government was set to release its pan-Canadian action plan to tackle antimicrobial resistance this year .
Health Minister Patty Hajdu was questioned about the plan at the House of Commons health committee in early March , before the COVID-19 pandemic struck Canada full force .
`` We 've been committing to using antimicrobials responsibly , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you know , though , right now there is a surge on hand sanitizer , which is not helpful in terms of the work that we 're doing to reduce the use of things that contribute to the growth of antimicrobials . ''
Though washing hands with soap or alcohol-based sanitizers has no known effect on superbugs , other types of sanitizers and disinfectants can contribute to bacteria that resist antimicrobials .
Fighting the COVID-19 pandemic could herald a rise in superbugs The use of drugs during the pandemic could also have an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research at McMaster University .
`` Any time that we 're facing a rise in infections of the kind that we 're seeing with COVID-19 ... we run the risk of bacterial infections at the same time , '' Wright said .
Secondary bacterial infections are common in patients with severe upper respiratory symptoms , he said , which lead doctors to prescribe antibiotics .
And increased use of antibiotics leads to an increase in antimicrobial resistance .
It 's not clear if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone up or down during the pandemic because Canada does n't gather real-time data .
It could be that people are less likely to seek out medical care of any kind , but a rise in virtual doctor visits could also lead physicians to prescribe antibiotics without testing for bacterial infections first , said Dr. Andrew Morris , medical director of the Sinai Health System-University Health Network Antimicrobial Stewardship Program .
We wo n't know either way until after the pandemic passes , he said .
It does seem that more people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , particularly south of the border where President Donald Trump has advocated for the preventative use of some drugs .
`` We actually have physicians and patients clamouring for the drug , when we actually have no idea if the drug even helps , '' Morris said .
`` It 's really set us back , because we 've been saying for a very long time that antimicrobials should be used when we know that they help .
It should not be widely and indiscriminately used . ''
Like the novel coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the globe at incredible speed , leaving Canada vulnerable to the actions of people elsewhere in the world .
To make matters worse , few pharmaceutical companies are investing in new antibiotics because they 're not as profitable as drugs people are prescribed on an ongoing basis .
The experts said Canada 's new plan to fight the problem will need to come with money for increased surveillance , data collection and research if it 's going to make any difference in this second , but potentially just as deadly pandemic .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published May 14 , 2020 .

Copious use of hand sanitizer and disinfectant is crucial in the fight against COVID-19, but it could be setting Canada back in the battle against superbugs. Microbiologists say antimicrobial resistant organisms, or superbugs, are a pandemic on the same scale as COVID-19, though it will play out on a much longer timeline. Antimicrobial resistance was directly responsible for 5,400 deaths in 2018, according to a recent report by the Council of Canadian Academies. If nothing is done, by 2050 there could be as many as 140,000 preventable deaths, and Canada’s health-care costs associated with antimicrobial resistance could grow to $8 billion per year. That's why some of the images of the COVID-19 pandemic have been so disturbing for Dr. Lori Burrows, a professor of biochemical science at McMaster University.
"I was a little freaked out by watching tanker trucks full of disinfectant being sprayed all over the street in some countries," she said. "It seems a little excessive to me." Some experts worry even strictly necessary efforts to destroy the novel coronavirus linked to COVID-19 could actually drive some bacteria to become more resistant. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The government was set to release its pan-Canadian action plan to tackle antimicrobial resistance this year.
Health Minister Patty Hajdu was questioned about the plan at the House of Commons health committee in early March, before the COVID-19 pandemic struck Canada full force. Fighting the COVID-19 pandemic could herald a rise in superbugs "We've been committing to using antimicrobials responsibly," she told the committee. "As you know, though, right now there is a surge on hand sanitizer, which is not helpful in terms of the work that we're doing to reduce the use of things that contribute to the growth of antimicrobials." Though washing hands with soap or alcohol-based sanitizers has no known effect on superbugs, other types of sanitizers and disinfectants can contribute to bacteria that resist antimicrobials. The use of drugs during the pandemic could also have an effect, said Dr. Gerry Wright, director of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research at McMaster University. "Any time that we're facing a rise in infections of the kind that we're seeing with COVID-19 ... we run the risk of bacterial infections at the same time," Wright said.
Secondary bacterial infections are common in patients with severe upper respiratory symptoms, he said, which lead doctors to prescribe antibiotics. And increased use of antibiotics leads to an increase in antimicrobial resistance. It's not clear if antibiotic use in the general public has gone up or down during the pandemic because Canada doesn't gather real-time data. It could be that people are less likely to seek out medical care of any kind, but a rise in virtual doctor visits could also lead physicians to prescribe antibiotics without testing for bacterial infections first, said Dr. Andrew Morris, medical director of the Sinai Health System-University Health Network Antimicrobial Stewardship Program.


nationalobserver--2020-05-14--Canada wants to extend U.S. travel ban

Canada wants to extend U.S. travel ban

Canada is not yet prepared to confront the challenges inherent in reopening the shared border with the United States , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday , stopping short of confirming that a ban on non-essential travel will be extended to June 21 .
The federal government has asked to extend the current ban , which is currently set to expire May 21 , and a favourable response is expected from Washington — but likely wo n't come for a few more days , a source familiar with the ongoing discussions , but not authorized to talk about them publicly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the request was first reported by the Globe and Mail .
`` Right now , we 're making decisions for right now , '' Trudeau said when asked about the possibility of keeping the border closed even after June 21 , regardless of the wishes of the U.S. , which is dealing with the worst COVID-19 outbreak in the world .
`` Obviously , there are reflections on what next steps could be and might be in different situations and different progressions of COVID-19 , but every step of the way in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to and responding to the realities we see now , and that 's where we will stay focused . ''
One of those realities is also the starkest : more than a million active cases in the U.S. — 42 per cent of the world 's active caseload — and a death toll that was closing in Wednesday on 83,000 people , growing at a rate of more than 1,000 fatalities a day .
• 'Alberta didn ’ t contain it ' : COVID-19 outbreak at oilsands camp has spread across the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Just read the writing on the wall .
Another is the level of unbridled political urgency , much of it emanating from the White House and Republican-led state capitols , to reopen shuttered businesses and ease restrictions on personal mobility , often in defiance of the Trump administration 's own guidelines .
Not everyone is in a hurry .
In New York , home to fully one-quarter of the U.S. COVID-19 cases , Gov .
Andrew Cuomo still has his foot firmly on the brake .
Reopenings there will be slow , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and diagnostic and antibody testing to ensure the virus is n't flaring back up .
`` We must stay alert because we are still learning , '' Cuomo warned as he rattled off a list of initial beliefs about COVID-19 that proved false , including that antibodies promised immunity and that children were largely impervious .
`` What we thought we knew does n't always turn out to be true , '' he said .
`` This virus has been ahead of us every step of the way in this country . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in and around border communities are beginning to realize that their traditional model of counting on cross-border traffic may be at an end , said Laurie Trautman , director of the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University in Bellingham , Wash. `` I think that 's just starting to kind of hit home , '' Trautman said .
`` We 're no longer just sort of waiting out the end of this , but we 're actually going to need to start thinking in a whole new way . ''
Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PM not yet ready to consider future plan She cited the example of Vancouver International Airport , once one of Canada 's largest transborder travel hubs , which is now coming to terms with the fact that its annual passenger load was just cut in half , and likely wo n't recover even after travel restrictions are lifted .
`` They 're not weathering the storm , either .
They 're completely shifting to a new model . ''
Montana , which abuts Alberta , B.C .
and Saskatchewan , has seen a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and allowed its stay-home measures to expire two weeks ago .
Ohio , which shares Lake Erie with Ontario , reopened retail stores Tuesday and has allowed certain industries to resume operations .
Pennsylvania , too , has begun easing restrictions , primarily in the northern regions .
In Minnesota , which borders northwest Ontario and Manitoba and currently has a total caseload of nearly 13,000 and more than 630 deaths , Gov .
Tim Walz was expected to address residents Wednesday as the state 's current emergency declaration and stay-at-home restrictions approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is happening before a backdrop of dread .
Rick Bright — ousted last month as head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority after clashing with the Trump administration over the president 's fondness for a now-discredited drug therapy — is expected to warn Congress on Thursday that without a national strategy , the U.S. could be facing a prolonged pandemic that will lead to more sickness , death and `` the darkest winter in modern history , '' CNN reported .
Kathryn Friedman , a law professor at the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues , said the conversation on both sides of the border among stakeholders , local and regional leaders and members of Congress has shifted .
`` People are starting to turn from stabilizing the situation to thinking about recovery , easing restrictions and opening the border , '' Friedman said .
For one thing , Canada and the U.S. will need to ensure their principles and regulations for lifting the restrictions were aligned , and it will be essential to ensure that regional and local leaders are in close contact .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for example , Canada had health and safety first as a guiding principle , and the U.S. was economic recovery — I think that would be a little more challenging . ''
B.C .
Premier John Horgan and Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee are in touch regularly , she noted , while Cuomo and Ontario Premier Doug Ford are not .
`` There are people who are very much advocating that New York and Quebec and Ontario at least share information on the stages and how they 're opening up and any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Others have recommended adding a representative from Ford 's office to the task force on reopening that Cuomo established last month with fellow governors from New Jersey , Delaware , Rhode Island , Pennsylvania , Connecticut and Massachusetts .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 13 , 2020 .

Canada is not yet prepared to confront the challenges inherent in reopening the shared border with the United States, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday, stopping short of confirming that a ban on non-essential travel will be extended to June 21. The federal government has asked to extend the current ban, which is currently set to expire May 21, and a favourable response is expected from Washington — but likely won't come for a few more days, a source familiar with the ongoing discussions, but not authorized to talk about them publicly, told The Canadian Press. News of the request was first reported by the Globe and Mail. "Right now, we're making decisions for right now," Trudeau said when asked about the possibility of keeping the border closed even after June 21, regardless of the wishes of the U.S., which is dealing with the worst COVID-19 outbreak in the world. "Obviously, there are reflections on what next steps could be and might be in different situations and different progressions of COVID-19, but every step of the way in this unprecedented situation, we're reacting to and responding to the realities we see now, and that's where we will stay focused." One of those realities is also the starkest: more than a million active cases in the U.S. — 42 per cent of the world's active caseload — and a death toll that was closing in Wednesday on 83,000 people, growing at a rate of more than 1,000 fatalities a day.
Another is the level of unbridled political urgency, much of it emanating from the White House and Republican-led state capitols, to reopen shuttered businesses and ease restrictions on personal mobility, often in defiance of the Trump administration's own guidelines. Not everyone is in a hurry. In New York, home to fully one-quarter of the U.S. COVID-19 cases, Gov. Andrew Cuomo still has his foot firmly on the brake. Reopenings there will be slow, with stringent monitoring of variables like hospital admissions and diagnostic and antibody testing to ensure the virus isn't flaring back up. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "We must stay alert because we are still learning," Cuomo warned as he rattled off a list of initial beliefs about COVID-19 that proved false, including that antibodies promised immunity and that children were largely impervious.
"What we thought we knew doesn't always turn out to be true," he said. "This virus has been ahead of us every step of the way in this country." Canada wants to extend U.S. travel ban; PM not yet ready to consider future plan Businesses, regional officials and other stakeholders in and around border communities are beginning to realize that their traditional model of counting on cross-border traffic may be at an end, said Laurie Trautman, director of the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash. "I think that's just starting to kind of hit home," Trautman said. "We're no longer just sort of waiting out the end of this, but we're actually going to need to start thinking in a whole new way." She cited the example of Vancouver International Airport, once one of Canada's largest transborder travel hubs, which is now coming to terms with the fact that its annual passenger load was just cut in half, and likely won't recover even after travel restrictions are lifted. "They're not weathering the storm, either. They're completely shifting to a new model."
Montana, which abuts Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan, has seen a steady decline in cases in recent weeks and allowed its stay-home measures to expire two weeks ago. Ohio, which shares Lake Erie with Ontario, reopened retail stores Tuesday and has allowed certain industries to resume operations. Pennsylvania, too, has begun easing restrictions, primarily in the northern regions. In Minnesota, which borders northwest Ontario and Manitoba and currently has a total caseload of nearly 13,000 and more than 630 deaths, Gov. Tim Walz was expected to address residents Wednesday as the state's current emergency declaration and stay-at-home restrictions approach their expiry dates. But all of it is happening before a backdrop of dread.