The latest coronavirus news: Ford urges anyone from large Toronto park crowd to get tested for COVID-19
by Staff & WiresPremier Doug Ford is urging anyone who was among a large crowd of people at Trinity Bellwoods Park in Toronto or other big gatherings over the weekend to get tested for COVID-19.
He says he was disappointed to see so many “obviously smart, young people” flouting physical distancing rules.
Ford’s comments come as the province attempts to boost low testing numbers – reported today as 8,170, despite a capacity of more than 21,000.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says health officials have decided to delay implementing a family bubble-type rule or loosening a restriction on gatherings of over five people in part because of what happened at Trinity Bellwoods.
She says they have been discussing household bubbles, but there is reluctance to move ahead with that right now because of some large gatherings and discouraging new case numbers.
Elliott says rising numbers of new COVID-19 cases in Ontario likely relate to people gathering for Mother’s Day contrary to official guidelines.
- Canadian Press
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What is the reopening plan in my province? A guide
2 p.m. EDT
Quebec surpasses 4,000 COVID-19 death milestone, plans to ratchet up testing
Quebec is reporting 85 additional deaths linked to COVID-19 today, bringing the total number to 4,069 since the beginning of the pandemic.
Premier Francois Legault says 42 of the newly reported deaths occurred more than seven days ago in Laval, a hard-hit city north of Montreal.
The province now has 47,984 confirmed cases of COVID-19 – an increase of 573 cases compared to Sunday.
With a heat wave forecast for Montreal this week, the province says it’s trying to come up with a plan to keep seniors in long-term care homes cool while avoiding more outbreaks.
Legault says he’s happy the province managed reach its goal of conducting 14,000 tests daily last Thursday and Friday and would like to see those numbers increase in the coming weeks.
Provincial health authorities report that 14,654 people have recovered from the virus.
- Canadian Press
12:50 p.m. EDT
Ontario asks hospitals to take over management of two nursing home
Ontario says it has appointed hospitals to take over the management of two long-term care homes that have been unable to contain COVID-19.
The province says Humber River Hospital will manage Downsview Long Term Care Centre, which has reported 52 deaths, up from 40 just a week ago.
Southlake Regional Health Centre will manage River Glen Haven Nursing Home in Sutton, a 119-bed facility where there have been 20 deaths and 54 confirmed cases.
The orders last for 90 days, but the government says they can be extended, if necessary.
The government says that the homes have been receiving supports from the hospitals for weeks, but have still been unable to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Ministry of Long-Term Care reports more than 1,500 resident deaths and six staff deaths from facilities across the province, and there are currently 159 active outbreaks, down from 189 a week ago.
- Canadian Press
11:40 p.m. EDT
Trudeau seeks 10 days of paid sick leave for workers in bid for NDP support
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he’ll push the provinces to give workers 10 days of paid sick leave a year as the country deals with the COVID-19 pandemic.
That appears to meet a key demand from NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, in exchange for the New Democrats’ support for a motion to limit sittings and votes in the House of Commons through the summer.
Singh laid out the demands on Monday morning, shortly before a small number of members of Parliament returned to the House of Commons to begin debate over the future of parliamentary sittings for as long as several months.
The debate will revolve around a Liberal proposal to waive “normal” House of Commons sittings in favour of expanding the special COVID-19 committee that has acted as a sort of stand-in for the past month.
Because they hold only a minority of seats, the Liberals need the support of at least one of the main opposition parties to pass this motion.
The Conservatives are expected to oppose the motion as they push for an end to the COVID-19 committee and the resumption of Commons sittings, albeit with no more than 50 MPs in the chamber at any time.
- Canadian Press
10:55 a.m. EDT
Ontario reports 404 new cases, 29 more deaths
Ontario is reporting 404 new cases of COVID-19 today, and 29 more deaths.
That brings the total in the province to 25,904, including 2,102 deaths and 19,698 resolved cases.
The new cases represent an increase of 1.6 per cent over Sunday’s total.
Just 8,170 tests were completed in the previous day – the eighth straight day Ontario has fallen short of its goal of doing 16,000 a day, and far short of its capacity of over 21,000.
Premier Doug Ford announced Sunday that anyone concerned they may have been exposed to COVID-19 can now get tested, whether or not they have symptoms.
Ontario has struggled to boost its testing numbers after completing a blitz of testing nearly every resident and staff member of long-term care.
- Canadian Press
10:45 a.m. EDT
Two workers of Toronto Loblaws test positive
Two workers at a Loblaws grocery store at the old Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto have tested positive for COVID-19.
Loblaw says it closed the store briefly to allow for additional cleaning and has since reopened.
The company says neither employee had symptoms at the time and have not worked in the store during the past week.
Loblaw says the employees and those who worked closely with them are now at home in self isolation.
The company says it is now enforcing physical distancing rules inside the store.
Toronto Public Health says there have been more than 10,000 cases of COVID-19 and 759 deaths as of Saturday.
- Canadian Press
10 a.m. EDT
Montreal-area retailers reopening to public, with distancing measures in place
Many retail stores in Montreal area are opening their doors today, with customers being asked to remain spaced apart and follow hygiene protocols.
Mask-wearing, Plexiglas barriers, frequent disinfecting and no-touch browsing are some of the measures being put in place by retailers as Quebec eases measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Premier Francois Legault is allowing retail stores in the hard-hit region to reopen, as long as they can be accessed directly from outside and customers can keep a distance from one another.
The province has repeatedly urged customers to wear non-medical face masks when out in public but has stopped short of making the measure mandatory.
Some store owners say they’re adapting to the new reality by limiting customers, offering appointments and offering contactless pay and options to collect orders made online.
Shopping malls remain closed for now, while hairdressers, estheticians and tattoo artists will be allowed to open on June 1, but only those outside Montreal.
-The Canadian Press
5 a.m. EDT
Manitobans warned about visiting International Peace Garden
The Canada Border Services Agency is reminding Manitobans that if they visit the International Peace Garden, they must comply with the mandatory 14-day requirement to quarantine or isolate when they return.
The agency says that’s because visiting the garden, located on the border between Manitoba and North Dakota, is international travel and constitutes exiting Canada.
To gain re-entry, it says travellers must report to the CBSA at the Boissevain port of entry.
Every traveller will need to provide their contact information and confirm that they have a suitable place to isolate or quarantine.
-The Canadian Press
5 a.m. EDT
Boeing to lay off 400 in Winnipeg
Boeing says it plans to cut 400 positions at its Winnipeg facilities due to the impact of COVID-19.
Boeing employs approximately 16-hundred people in two locations in the city, where they produce components mainly for its commercial airplanes.
A statement from the company says the reductions will come from voluntary and involuntary layoffs and normal attrition.
Earlier this month, Boeing said it failed to sell a single commercial airplane in April.
-The Canadian Press
5 a.m. EDT
Manitoba Hydro reaches agreement with First Nations over blockade
A deal has been struck to remove blockades that were erected at a Manitoba Hydro construction site over COVID-19 concerns.
Four northern First Nations stopped entry at three points around the Keeyask site after Manitoba Hydro said it would rotate out and replace hundreds of employees and contractors.
Hydro spokesman Bruce Owen says the utility is pleased to reach an understanding with its First Nations partners that he says “will see construction on Keeyask resume safely.”
The deal includes lifting a court injunction issued last week against Tataskweyak Cree Nation, one of the communities that was part of the protest.
-The Canadian Press
5 a.m. EDT
Teen attacked by stranger over COVID-19 fears
A Saskatoon father says his 15-year-old son was accused by a stranger of spreading coronavirus and faced racial slurs while biking in a park last week.
Nelson Chen says in a Facebook post that when his son took a picture of the person, the alleged attacker chased his son, and then punched and tackled him.
Chen says his son was shaken but got away without apparent injuries.
Police say no charges had been laid “at this preliminary stage.”
-The Canadian Press
4 a.m. EDT
MPs to meet today to decide on resuming Parliament during pandemic
Federal New Democrats say they want to see real action from the Liberal government on permanent paid sick leave and support for people with disabilities before they will support a plan to continue suspending full House of Commons sittings.
The Liberals over the weekend proposed to waive “normal” House of Commons sittings in favour of expanding the special COVID-19 committee that has acted as a sort of stand-in for the past month.
Because they hold only a minority of seats, the Liberals need the support of at least one of the main opposition parties to pass this motion.
The Conservatives are pushing for an end to the COVID-19 committee and the resumption of normal House of Commons sittings, albeit with no more than 50 MPs in the chamber at any time.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party is willing to support Liberals’ motion.
However, he says that support is contingent on the Liberals’ expanding the Canada Emergency Response Benefit to provide paid sick leave to all Canadians in the short term and a commitment to work with the provinces to provide permanent benefits even after the pandemic.
-The Canadian Press
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