Friday May 29th, a.m. headlines
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is announcing a new COVID-19 testing strategey this afternoon.
And Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce millions of dollars in extra support today for Indigenous communities, for public health, cost of living, and to help build women’s shelters amid reports of a spike in domestic violence.
TIFF still on, but different
Organizers of the Toronto International Film Festival say they’re still planning to have some type of physical festival this year… along with a digital platform.
Latest snapshot of the Canadian economy
Statistics Canada says the economy in the first quarter had its worst showing since 2009 .Gross domestic product fell at an annualized rate of 8.2 per cent. Household spending was down 2.3 per cent, the steepest quarterly drop ever recorded.
COVID-19, the latest studies
A couple of new studies out this morning. One says wearing a face mask in your home could help reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus among those you live with. Another warns against offering anyone outside of your household a car ride during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thursday May 28th, a.m. headlines
The City of Toronto has released a map that shows the COVID-19 hot spots across the city. The neighbourhood with the most COVID-19 cases in Toronto is Glenfield-Jane Heights, in North York, while the one with the least is Lambton Baby Point, in York.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will skip his usual news conference this morning, updating the federal government’s response to COVID-19. Instead he’ll be co-hosting a special U-N conference today to discuss the global fallout from the pandemic.
Things will look a little different at Toronto’s Trinity Bellwoods Park later today. City officials are painting social distancing circles on the ground.
Manitoba Powwow Planned Despite Restrictions
The chief of a Manitoba First Nation says the community powwow will go ahead, and there won’t be any limits on how many people can attend. Lake Manitoba First Nation Chief Cornell McLean says some community members have struggled with drugs and alcohol because of the pandemic’s impacts, and the event will help them. Manitoba Health says Indigenous ceremonies have to follow current public health recommendations.
Indigenous Fashion Designers Featured at Simons
Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto is releasing a limited edition wardrobe in collaboration with Quebec-based fashion retailer Simons featuring designs from eight Indigenous artists.
Wednesday May 27th, a.m. headlines
Premier Doug Ford out with an announcement this morning, saying all emergency orders have been extended for another 10 days, until June 9th.
The fallout from yesterday’s bombshell report unveiling despicable conditions at some Ontario long-term care facilities is expected to dominate much of the conversation today at Queen’s Park and Ottawa’s special COVID-19 committee meeting.
There seems to be a clear shift from the first month of the pandemic in Ontario, when cases were more evenly distributed around the province. A report by CBC news says more than three-quarters of the active cases of COVID-19 are in Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa and Windsor.
New Products that Sanitize
An Indigenous company based in Manitoba is working on alternatives to alcohol-based sanitizers. Exchange PPE says its fogging machines use a form of electrolyzed water to sanitize surfaces. It can clean large areas and food products.
Indigenous Shelter Closes
The Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal has closed its doors, after most of its staff contracted COVID-19.
Tuesday, May 26th a.m. headlines
Painted social distancing circles could soon appear in some Toronto parks. The city is considering a pilot project in Trinity Bellwoods.
A new survey suggests those worried about personal finances during COVID-19 are more likely to be binge drinking.
Ottawa is expected to give Canadians an update today on the results of its mad scramble to procure personal protective equipment.
What Caused Monday’s Spike in Coronavirus Cases?
On Monday, there were 400 new cases of the coronavirus in Ontario, and Health Minister Christine Elliott blames the spike on the Mothers Day weekend, when people were visiting families and there were more than five people together.
COVID-19 Vaccines
A potential made-in-Canada COVID-19 vaccine has achieved a “major milestone” in moving toward human clinical trials, It’s being developed by researchers at The University of Saskatchewan. They say it has proven to be “highly effective” in pre-clinical trials in ferrets.
A U-S biotech company has begun the first phase of clinical trials on a vaccine it hopes will work on the novel coronavirus.
Monday, May 25th a.m. headlines
M-Ps will gather in Ottawa today to debate how the House of Commons will operate in the weeks and months to come. Safety restrictions on the size of gatherings have forced the government to adopt new procedures.
Premier Doug Ford says testing protocols for COVID-19 have been expanded and anybody who feels they were exposed to the virus can be tested.
Toronto Mayor John Tory Apologizes
Toronto Mayor John Tory is apologizing after facing criticism for making an appearance at Trinity Bellwoods Park on Saturday, with his mask pulled down.
Indigenous
Indigenous organizations in Montreal are calling for a delay in reopening the city. They say they’re uncomfortable with reopening, while the spread of the virus is only beginning to peak among Indigenous populations. A status report by eight organziations, also calls on public health authorities to provide additional emergency workers.
Community-led checkpoints and non-essential travel bans are keeping COVID-19 numbers relatively low in many First Nations communities in Canada. There’ve been a total of 209 cases
Brazil’s indigenous people are dying at an alarming rate from COVID-19 with little help in sight. There are 900,000 indigenous people, and a mortality rate of 12.6 percent — compared to the national rate of 6.4 per cent.