Wednesday’s coronavirus news roundup: Toronto releases map showing neighbourhoods hardest hit by COVID-19

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Canada’s most populous city has released a map of neighbourhoods hardest hit by COVID-19.

Toronto’s chief medical officer of health says COVID-19 is present in every neighbourhood, but the northwest and northeast parts of the city have the highest number of infections.

Dr. Eileen de Villa notes that the map represents where patients live, not necessarily where they caught the virus.

She says it’s important to note that a neighbourhood having more cases of COVID-19 does not mean there’s a higher risk of infection there.

De Villa says the data should be used to encourage proactive testing in certain neighbourhoods and promote education, rather than stigmatizing the regions.

The city is also introducing a new measure to promote physical distancing at Trinity Bellwoods Park, where thousands of people gathered on Saturday to the consternation of many: black circles will be painted on the ground to ensure people are keeping a proper distance.

– The Canadian Press

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What is the reopening plan in my province? A guide

7:45 p.m. EDT

Graffiti on Chinese Consulate office potential hate crime: Calgary police

Police in Calgary have opened a hate-crime investigation into graffiti sprayed on the wall of a Chinese Consulate building.

Three suspects wearing masks and black clothing were caught on video spray painting vulgar messages referencing COVID-19 early Wednesday morning.

Investigators are releasing photos of the suspects in the hopes of identifying them.

Police say it’s the second time in a little more than a week that the downtown building has been vandalized.

But the message sprayed on the sidewalk outside on May 19 made no reference to the novel coronavirus.

Police note there has been a worldwide increase in hate crimes against the Chinese community and people of Asian descent who have been scapegoated during the pandemic.

“The pandemic has led to a lot of political debate and strong views, and people are obviously free to hold whatever view they wish,” said Const. Craig Collins, the service’s hate-crimes co-ordinator.

“But when people are targeting others for ill treatment or committing crimes because of those views, we have a duty to get involved.”

Collins said Calgary saw some racist incidents early-on in the pandemic, but has not seen the same spike other cities have.

“We are hearing from the Chinese community that they are concerned about growing hostility, so we are monitoring it closely.”

- Canadian Press

5 p.m. EDT

Bars, hair salons to reopen June 5 as Nova Scotia reopens parts of economy

Nova Scotia released its long-awaited plan to reopen parts of its economy accompanied by millions in new government aid Wednesday, part of what Premier Stephen McNeil says is a cautious approach aimed at preventing another spike in COVID-19 cases.

McNeil said most businesses that were required to close under a public health order in late March will be allowed to open beginning June 5, provided they submit a plan that follows public health protocols for physical distancing.

That includes restaurant dining rooms, along with bars, wineries, distilleries and taprooms. Personal services businesses will also open, including hair salons, barber shops, spas, nail salons and tattoo establishments.

Fitness facilities, such as gyms, yoga studios and climbing centres, will also be allowed to operate.

“We believe that we have found a balance between public safety and restarting our economy,” said McNeil, who acknowledged that his province is among the last in the country to restart.

“We are still moving slowly, but this is a good first step. We’ve considered feedback gathered through the consultation with businesses and associations.”

The province is also allowing some health providers to reopen, including in dentistry, optometry, chiropractic and physiotherapy services. Veterinary services are also green-lighted along with some unregulated health professions, such as massage therapy, podiatry and naturopathy.

However, McNeil said the province is continuing to work with the child-care sector on a reopening plan and a target date of June 8 has now been pushed back to June 15.

“Every business that is about to reopen must follow public health protocols,” the premier said.

Dr. Robert Strang, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said allowing businesses to reopen with modifications is an important way to help create “our new normal” in the fight against COVID-19.

Strang said maintaining the two-metre physical distancing rule and adhering to capacity limits will be key, especially for restaurants.

“If a business is too small to ensure the two metres distance between customers and clients, then the gathering limit which is now five applies,” he said.

Strang said restaurants would open to a maximum of 50 per cent capacity during the initial phase, while only allowing up to five people at a table provided that’s possible.

- Canadian Press

4 p.m. EDT

Restaurants, bars, community centres to reopen in Manitoba next week

Bars, dine-in restaurants, gyms, pools and other facilities across Manitoba will be allowed to reopen starting Monday as the province eases more restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Community centres, seniors clubs and tattoo parlours are also getting the go-ahead. In all cases, there will be limits on customer capacity and rules for physical distancing.

“While we can take pride in the progress we’ve made ... I emphasize we must remain vigilant,” Premier Brian Pallister said Wednesday.

“We do not want a COVID comeback in this province.”

Manitoba has had 292 cases since the pandemic began and seven deaths. There have only been three new instances in the last two weeks and the number of cases still active has dropped to 16.

In its first reopening phase on May 4, the Progressive Conservative government allowed many services, including non-essential retail stores, restaurant patios and museums, to resume.

The second phase announced Wednesday is much broader. Restaurants and bars will be allowed to serve people indoors, but only at half capacity. Common areas such as dance floors and dart boards will remain off-limits.

- Canadian Press

2:30 p.m. EDT

New Brunswick reports third new case of COVID-19 in Campbellton area

New Brunswick is reporting another new case of COVID-19 in the Campbellton, N.B., area — the third in less than a week in the north of the province, bordering Quebec.

The province’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Jennifer Russell, says the latest case is a person in their 50s.

The two previous cases involved a young child who attended two daycares, and a senior over the age of 90.

Russell says the three cases are a single cluster related to someone who travelled but did not self-isolate upon their return.

She says one of the people involved is a health-care worker who has been in contact with other people, and she is concerned there will be more cases.

As a result, the Campbellton region will be returned to the “orange” level of the province’s reopening plan.

- Canadian Press

8 a.m. EDT

Ontario extends emergency orders through June 9

Ontarians will not be allowed to dine in bars and restaurants, gather in groups larger than five or use playground equipment until at least mid-June.

The provincial government says it is extending its COVID-19 emergency orders until June 9. They were last extended on May 19 and were set to expire May 29.

The orders include the closure of childcare centres, libraries except for pick-up and delivery, theatres, and bars and restaurants except to provide take-out or delivery.

It also means that Ontarians looking to beat the heat at public pools and splash pads are out of luck until at least June 9.

Ontario has been in a state of emergency since March 17, and it was last extended until June 2.

The province also reported 292 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, and 32 more deaths.

It’s the second straight day of fewer than 300 new cases, which follows several consecutive days of more than 400.

It brings the provincial total to 26,483, an increase of 1.1 per cent over the previous day.

The total includes 2,155 deaths and 20,372 resolved cases.

The number of tests reported on Wednesday jumped to 15,133, from just 9,875 the previous day.

- Canadian Press

9:18 a.m. EDT

Parks Canada releases list of parks that will open June 1

Parks Canada says some operations at national parks, national historic sites, historic waterways, and national marine conservation areas will resume starting June 1. Twenty-nine of Canada’s 48 national parks will be accessible:

  1. Cape Breton Highlands National Park, N.S.
  2. Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site, N.S.
  3. Prince Edward Island National Park, P.E.I.
  4. Fundy National Park, N.B.
  5. Kouchibouguac National Park, N.B.
  6. Gros Morne National Park, N.L.
  7. Terra Nova National Park, N.L.
  8. La Mauricie National Park, Que.
  9. Forillon National Park, Que.
  10. Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ont.
  11. Rouge National Urban Park, Ont.
  12. Georgian Bay Islands National Park, Ont.
  13. Thousand Islands National Park, Ont.
  14. Pukaskwa National Park, Ont.
  15. Riding Mountain National Park, Man.
  16. Prince Albert National Park, Sask.
  17. Grasslands National Park, Sask.
  18. Banff National Park, Alta.
  19. Jasper National Park, Alta.
  20. Waterton Lakes National Park, Alta.
  21. Elk Island National Park, Alta.
  22. Yoho National Park, B.C.
  23. Kootenay National Park, B.C.
  24. Mount Revelstoke National Park, B.C.
  25. Glacier National Park, B.C.
  26. Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, B.C.
  27. Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, B.C.
  28. Wood Buffalo National Park, N.W.T/Alta.
  29. Kluane National Park Reserve, Yukon

7:19 a.m. EDT

Asylum seekers in Quebec question plan to offer refuge to those who work in long-term care

Quebec Premier Francois Legault’s promise to review the status of asylum seekers working in long-term care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic raises more questions than it answers, advocates say.

In a seeming reversal of an earlier stance, Legault said this week that asylum seekers who are working in the health-care system could be eligible for a path to citizenship as immigrants instead of through the federal refugee system.

Legault said Monday he had asked his immigration minister to review the cases “one by one,” to see if they qualify as immigrants.

“It’s a way of telling them, ‘Thank you,’” Legault said.

Advocates estimate hundreds of newcomers are recruited to work in long-term care homes due to an abundance of jobs and a relatively short training period.

While Legault’s announcement is a seeming victory, advocates say it’s too early to celebrate.

Frantz Andre, the spokesman for a group representing people without immigration status, says the feeling among asylum seekers he’s spoken to has been “more upset than happy.”

He said he’s been fielding non-stop calls from asylum seekers, some of whom work in other essential services such as food-processing or security.

“They say, ‘Why the (long-term care) workers, why not me?’” Andre said in a phone interview.

He said even those who could be eligible for permanent residence are disappointed to learn that, rather than being approved automatically, they may have to go through another immigration hearing, which many find deeply traumatizing.

– The Canadian Press

4:04 a.m. EDT

Equipment ordered to help fight spread of COVID-19 won’t meet current demand, but will help prepare for second wave

A high-profile announcement by the Liberals this week that automotive giant General Motors would make 10 million medical masks omitted a detail that speaks to the long road ahead in Canada’s fight against COVID-19.

Those masks will be made over the next year.

So too will much of the millions of gloves, gowns, and litres of hand sanitizer that are part of the federal government’s bulk buy of crucial personal protective gear needed to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

Though goods are being handed out as soon as they do arrive in Canada — 42 plane loads to date, the government said this week — the reality is many of the orders being placed won’t meet the demand created by the current outbreak of COVID-19.

But the bigger issue is the next one.

“The analysis is that there is an unpredictability about the way in which the virus may spread in the coming months,” said federal procurement minister Anita Anand in an interview with The Canadian Press this week.

“As a result our approach has been to order supplies over and above the requests of the provinces and territories so that if there is a second wave and we do need ventilators, for example, we are prepared.”

At the outset of the pandemic’s arrival in Canada, the issue of how many ventilators Canada had was of pressing concern.

Hospitals, provinces and the federal government scrambled to order the equipment. Nearly 30,000 ventilators were ordered by Ottawa alone, but only 203 have arrived so far.

However, physical distancing efforts did largely spare a crush at hospitals, chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said this week.

– The Canadian Press

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