Coronavirus: Here’s what’s happening in Canada and around the world on March 20

U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned journey restrictions — which additionally apply to the U.S.-Mexico border — will “scale back the incentive for a mass international migration” and disallow “non-essential” border-crossing. 

Ottawa additionally introduced it has reached a reciprocal settlement with Washington to show again irregular migrants who try to cross anyplace alongside the border — a transfer described as unprecedented.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed the coming border restrictions in a Friday morning briefing, and went on to stipulate an industrial technique to enable firms already making sanitizers, masks and different tools to scale up shortly, whereas mobilizing others to shift manufacturing to gadgets which might be in excessive demand. The information comes on the identical day that instances in Canada grew past 1,000, for a complete of 1,087. There have been 214 new instances on Friday, the most in someday in Canada since the pandemic was declared on March 11. 

Speaking exterior his dwelling at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, the place he’s in voluntary quarantine after his spouse examined optimistic for the coronavirus, Trudeau mentioned that his authorities is in contact with main airways about Canadians stranded overseas. He mentioned particulars would come in the days forward, however added {that a} repatriation flight for travellers caught in Morocco is anticipated to go forward this weekend.

The repatriated travellers might want to pay for the flights, which will likely be co-ordinated by way of industrial airways. Global Affairs Canada is providing as much as a $5,000 mortgage to Canadians caught overseas, and that cash can be utilized to pay for these flights. The first space of focus will likely be Morocco and Peru, the place governments have carried out extremely restrictive border controls.

“These are historic occasions in which we have to do every thing we will to assist Canadians,” mentioned Trudeau.

The authorities has urged all Canadians who’re overseas to return dwelling shortly, however some have struggled to search out flights as they face border restrictions and restricted journey choices as airways minimize capability. On Friday, Air Canada introduced they’re working a particular flight for Canadians stranded in Morocco, which is able to depart from Casablanca on Saturday. Passengers must pay as it is a industrial flight — not a rescue flight chartered by the Canadian authorities. In India, Canadians are scrambling to get dwelling as India prepares to ban all incoming worldwide flights for per week. 

Earlier in the day, a Canadian in Japan died from problems linked to COVID-19, Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne mentioned, whereas Trudeau outlined a method to assist producers quickly ramp up manufacturing of medical provides.

Champagne did not present any specifics about the particular person or their circumstances.

Canada’s chief public healthiness officer Dr. Theresa Tam mentioned the particular person was a former passenger of the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

A variety of Canadians who have been contaminated with the coronavirus whereas aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship have been in Japanese healthiness amenities. The ship was positioned below quarantine in early February after it was revealed {that a} passenger who had beforehand disembarked was contaminated with the coronavirus.

WATCH | ‘A number of stuff is by probability,’ says Canadian attempting to get out of Morocco:

Trudeau’s assertion got here after a union official mentioned Air Canada is shedding greater than 5,000 flight attendants because it offers with a stark drop in the variety of flights it operates, calling the transfer “tough however essential.” The airline had already mentioned it plans to “steadily droop the majority of its worldwide and U.S. transborder flights” by March 31.

Wesley Lesosky, president of CUPE’s Air Canada part, mentioned he has “by no means seen layoffs like this.”

WestJet has mentioned it is suspending worldwide journey as of Sunday for a 30-day interval. Swoop, the low cost service owned by WestJet Airlines, will do the identical, and mentioned it’s now working to deliver dwelling greater than 2,300 Swoop passengers who’re nonetheless exterior of Canada. 

Sunwing Airlines mentioned it expects to have all of its prospects, most of whom are at Mexican or Caribbean resorts, again dwelling by Monday. Sunwing can also be providing vacant seats on its repatriation flights freed from cost to any Canadians stranded in sun-kissed elements of the hemisphere, together with non-Sunwing prospects.

Starbucks is briefly lowering service in each Canada and the United States as properly, closing cafes and shifting to drive-thru and supply as a substitute. Some exceptions will likely be made, akin to places in and around hospitals, and the closure would not immediately have an effect on licensed shops. In a information launch, Starbucks Canada president Lori Digulla mentioned shops will stay closed for 2 weeks, whereas employees will proceed to be paid for the subsequent 30 days, whether or not they work or not.

Worldwide, the dying toll from the coronavirus handed 10,000 and infections exceeded 255,000, in accordance with a Johns Hopkins University tally.

Italy, with its 60 million residents, elevated its dying toll by 627 on Friday, to 4,032 lives misplaced to the virus. It is the largest each day rise in absolute phrases since the contagion emerged in the nation a month in the past. On Thursday, Italy’s dying toll surpassed that of China, a rustic with a inhabitants greater than 20 occasions bigger and the place the outbreak first started. 

More than 86,000 individuals have recovered from the virus, largely in China, however the tempo is way slower than its unfold. Recovery takes two weeks or so for gentle instances, however might be as much as six weeks for people who flip critical, in accordance with the World Health Organization.

Though the sickness is gentle in most individuals, the aged are notably inclined to critical signs. Italy has the world’s second-oldest inhabitants, and the overwhelming majority of its useless — 87 per cent — have been over 70.

WATCH | More younger individuals testing optimistic for coronavirus:

For these over 70 and hospitalized with COVID-19, the mortality price has been as excessive as one in 5 instances on common, mentioned Dr. Mike Ryan, head of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) emergencies program, talking at the UN company’s each day information briefing on Friday.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus mentioned healthiness authorities are studying that though older persons are hardest hit, youthful persons are not spared.

“Data from many nations clearly present that individuals below 50 make up a major proportion of sufferers requiring hospitalization,” he mentioned. 

WATCH | WHO requires ‘solidarity, solidarity, solidarity’:

“Today I’ve a message for younger individuals: You’re not invincible. This virus may put you in hospital for weeks and even kill you.”

Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, the technical lead of WHO’s emergencies program mentioned there are no less than 20 vaccines in improvement. The first check of an experimental vaccine was administered to a wholesome volunteer in Seattle, Wash., final Monday.

WATCH | Montreal hospitals launch international problem to design new ventilator:

People with underlying healthiness points can also have an elevated probability for creating critical problems. Tam mentioned Thursday that Indigenous individuals additionally face a better danger due to healthiness inequities, increased charges of underlying circumstances and the difficulties that include dwelling in distant communities. 

Read on for a have a look at what’s happening in Canada, the U.S. and different areas of the world coping with the coronavirus pandemic.

Here’s what’s happening in the provinces and territories

British Columbia introduced 77 new COVID-19 instances, bringing the whole to 348. At the identical time, the City of Vancouver mentioned all playgrounds will shut down and all eating places should cease any dine-in companies by the finish of Friday or face prosecution, as a part of a number of latest insurance policies unveiled a day after the province declared a state of emergency. “The modifications being introduced at this time are main. They imply … many, many individuals will likely be laid off,” mentioned Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart. Read extra about what’s happening in B.C.

Ontario is launching a web-based portal for college students who cannot go to class due to COVID-19. Doug Ford’s authorities mentioned the program will embrace math and literacy materials, in each English and French. The province noticed 60 new instances reported Friday, pushing the provincial whole previous 300. It comes a day after officers mentioned a man in his 50s with an underlying healthiness situation, no latest journey historical past exterior Canada or identified contact with a COVID-19 case had died. The Milton, Ont., man’s dying is the second that healthiness officers in the province have linked to the virus.

Health Minister Christine Elliott — who has confronted elevated questions over check availability, wait occasions for testing and hospital capability — mentioned Thursday the province has added extra telehealth strains and is working on enhancing lab testing. Read extra about what’s happening in Ontario.

Alberta’s credit standing was downgraded after a world credit score company mentioned its finances is ‘not legitimate,’ and the province hasn’t performed sufficient to reply to financial pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic. The day earlier than, the province’s high physician urged individuals to take the dangers from COVID-19 critically as the province reported its first dying. Dr. Deena Hinshaw mentioned Thursday that an Edmonton man in his 60s died late Wednesday. The province is doing “all we will to struggle the unfold of the virus,” Hinshaw mentioned. “But to do that, we are going to want everybody’s assist.” Read extra about what’s happening in Alberta, together with details about how Alberta Health Services dealt with the case of a health care provider who examined optimistic for COVID-19.

Police in the Quebec capital have arrested a COVID-19 affected person who defied quarantine orders. The particular person was arrested whereas out for a stroll in Quebec City’s Limoilou neighbourhood. As the province tries to clamp down on COVID-19, some lodges are getting ready to step up in case they’re mandatory to deal with non-infected hospital sufferers to create space in the province’s healthiness amenities. Read extra about what’s happening in Quebec.

WATCH | Scenes from around the world as individuals applaud health-care staff:

Saskatchewan introduced it’s going to use daycare amenities inside colleges to offer take care of the youngsters of health-care staff and different “necessary” staff. The province, which as of Friday afternoon was reporting 26 confirmed and presumptive instances, has banned public gatherings of greater than 50 individuals. But the chief medical officer of healthiness needs individuals to keep away from teams of greater than 5. The City of Regina declared its personal state of emergency on Friday, whereas eating places and bars in the province are being closed for dine-in service, and at the moment are restricted to pickup and supply. Read extra about what’s happening in Saskatchewan.

Manitoba declared a state of emergency Friday to reply to the pandemic. The province, like many others, mentioned Thursday it’s reviewing its stock of essential provides like protecting gear for health-care staff and ventilators. More ventilators are on the method, officers mentioned, and whereas the provide of protecting gear is strong for now, the province has mentioned it’s going to purchase extra. Read extra about what’s happening in Manitoba, which delivered a finances Thursday amid financial turmoil linked to the pandemic.

In New Brunswick, no new instances have been introduced for the second day in a row, a day after the province declared a state of emergency. Still, chief medical officer Dr. Jennifer Russell mentioned two days in a row with none new instances “does not imply a complete lot” attributable to the incubation interval of the virus. Russell mentioned she expects to see extra instances in the coming days, noting returning travellers will not be exhibiting any signs but. On the identical day, Premier Blaine Higgs mentioned the provincial finances is already out of date attributable to COVID-19’s financial fallout. Read extra about what’s happening in N.B.

Health officers in Nova Scotia reported one new presumptive COVID-19 case on Friday. The new case comes after the province mentioned it’s allocating $1 million to assist the province’s meals banks amid rising financial harm attributable to COVID-19. The province, which banned evictions of susceptible individuals throughout the disaster, has mentioned extra helps will likely be rolled out in the days forward. Alcohol gross sales in the province have soared amid panic shopping for, whereas these working in habit companies are planning forward in case of liquor retailer closures. They are involved these going by way of alcohol withdrawal will find yourself in hospital, draining health-care assets away from the pandemic. Read extra about what’s happening in Nova Scotia.

The high physician in P.E.I. is urging individuals to respect self-isolation and social distancing protocols, saying the province needs to keep away from the stark conditions seen in locations like Italy. Read extra about what’s happening on P.E.I.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s healthiness minister mentioned Friday designated COVID-19 check websites are coming — however will likely be by appointment solely. The information comes after a high schooling official in Newfoundland and Labrador says all college students between kindergarten and Grade 9 will go to the subsequent grade, “it doesn’t matter what time we get again.” Tony Stack, CEO of the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District, mentioned the plan for highschool college students is just not but finalized. Read extra about what’s happening in N.L.

There aren’t any reported instances of COVID-19 in Canada’s North, however efforts are underway to make sure governments are ready. Yukon is organising a respiratory evaluation centre, and a First Nation group in the Northwest Territories declared a state of emergency in a bid to guard its elders. Read extra about what’s happening in the North.

Here’s a have a look at the variety of instances — together with deaths and recoveries — by province:

• British Columbia: 348 confirmed instances, together with 5 recovered and eight deaths.
• Ontario: 318 confirmed instances, together with 5 recovered and two deaths.
• Alberta: 195 confirmed instances, together with three recovered and one dying.
• Quebec: 139 confirmed instances, together with one recovered and one dying.
• Saskatchewan: 26 confirmed and presumptive instances.
• Manitoba: 17 confirmed and presumptive instances.
• New Brunswick: 11 confirmed and presumptive instances.
• Nova Scotia: 15 confirmed and presumptive instances.
• Prince Edward Island: Two instances the province lists as optimistic.
• Newfoundland and Labrador: Four confirmed and presumptive instances.
• Repatriated Canadians: 12 confirmed instances.

Presumptive instances are people who’ve examined optimistic, however nonetheless await affirmation with the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg. Not all provinces are itemizing figures on those that have recovered. The latest COVID-19 associated dying in Japan is just not at the moment included in the province-by-province tally of instances.

Here’s what’s happening in the U.S.

From Reuters and The Associated Press, up to date at 10:45 p.m. ET

A member of U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence’s workplace has examined optimistic for the coronavirus. Pence is main the federal authorities’s response to the pandemic.

However, Pence’s press secretary says neither the vice-president nor Trump has had shut contact with the contaminated particular person.

Earlier in the day, Illinois joined each New York and California in imposing strict new measures to restrict residents’ motion, the most sweeping efforts but to include the coronavirus.

“To keep away from the lack of tens of hundreds of lives, we should order an instantaneous shelter-in-place,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker mentioned Friday.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo mentioned that beginning Sunday, all staff in non-essential companies should keep dwelling as a lot as potential and all gatherings of any dimension will likely be banned in the state of greater than 19 million individuals. He acted after California all however confined its 40 million residents to their properties.

Watch: NYC’s empty streets

Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin introduced on Friday that the U.S. tax submitting day will likely be prolonged from April 15 to July 15.  He inspired all taxpayers who could have refunds to file now.

U.S. senators from each events have been anticipated to satisfy on Friday together with Trump administration officers to attempt to devise a rescue plan for an financial system reeling from the coronavirus, after Republicans made a $1 trillion US opening bid.

The Republican bundle unveiled on Thursday contains cheques of as much as $1,200 for a lot of Americans, and lots of of billions of {dollars} in loans for small companies and industries. Students could be allowed to defer funds on scholar loans.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell launched the bundle and then invited Democrats to affix talks on Friday, together with Mnuchin and White House financial adviser Larry Kudlow. 

McConnell vowed the Senate wouldn’t adjourn till it had taken motion and despatched a measure to the Democrat-led House of Representatives, however any vote was in all probability days away.

Democrats mentioned they have been prepared to speak, however have been additionally cautious, noting that they had not been concerned in drafting the plan. Senate Democratic chief Chuck Schumer mentioned in a joint assertion together with his fellow Democrat, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, that his occasion needs to see provisions that shield staff.

The bundle is the third taken up by Congress since the coronavirus erupted in the United States. The extremely contagious respiratory illness had contaminated 12,259 individuals in the nation and killed 200 as of Thursday evening. It has shut colleges, companies and broad swaths of American life, and despatched the inventory market right into a tailspin.

Congress handed an $8.3-billion US measure earlier this month to fight the coronavirus outbreak and develop vaccines. On Wednesday, lawmakers permitted and Trump signed a $105-billion-plus plan to restrict the harm by way of free testing, paid sick depart and expanded safety-net spending.

The invoice introducing the newest measures contains $300 billion for small companies, and $208 billion in loans for distressed industries, together with $50 billion for passenger airways and $Eight billion for cargo air carriers.

United Airlines mentioned it could briefly droop all flights to Canada beginning April 1.

Meanwhile, U.S. officers have been anticipated to announce new restrictions on the border with Mexico on Friday.

Here’s what’s happening in Europe

From The Associated Press and Reuters, up to date at 11:30 a.m. ET

Italy recorded 627 deaths on Friday, a rise of about 18 per cent. Mayors of many Italian cities are asking for extra stringent controls on residents’ actions to assist include surging coronavirus infections. Despite a nationwide lockdown that strictly limits circumstances below which persons are allowed to depart their properties, there have been many violations. Authorities say as of Friday morning, greater than 53,000 summons have been issued for violations.

State radio mentioned Friday that Premier Giuseppe Conte would possibly announce tighter measures nationwide. On Thursday, Italy’s deaths from the virus surpassed these in China, the place the outbreak started. With Friday’s improve, deaths in Italy stand at 4,032. 

In Spain, the healthiness minister mentioned the military will assist arrange a discipline hospital of 5,500 beds and much-needed intensive care items inside a conference centre in Madrid. Health staff even have begun outfitting Madrid lodges as makeshift wards for sufferers thought-about not in want of intensive care. Madrid has greater than 7,000 instances of coronavirus.

In France, President Emmanuel Macron urged fearful workers to maintain working in supermarkets, manufacturing websites and different key companies amid tight restrictions on motion imposed to struggle the fast unfold of the coronavirus in the nation.

“We have to maintain the nation operating,” Macron mentioned.Businesses allowed to stay open are required to use strict guidelines about social distancing, washing arms and disinfection. French healthiness authorities have reported nearly 11,000 instances of individuals contaminated with the virus, together with 372 who’ve died.

Britain is asking 65,000 retired nurses and medical doctors to return to work to assist struggle the coronavirus. The authorities is sending letters to 50,000 former nurses and 15,000 retired medical doctors. Health Secretary Matt Hancock mentioned volunteers could be given coaching over the subsequent few weeks earlier than being allotted to hospitals. The U.K. has 3,269 confirmed instances of COVID-19 and 144 individuals have died.

The British authorities additionally introduced it’s going to cowl a large share of personal sector wages to discourage bosses from firing employees in an unprecedented transfer to prop up the financial system by way of the coronavirus shutdown.

“Today I can announce that for the first time in our historical past, the authorities goes to step in and assist to pay individuals’s wages,” Finance Minister Rishi Sunak mentioned on Friday.

Watch: U.K. pubs final name earlier than indefinite shutdown

Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered the closure of pubs, eating places, gyms, nightclubs and different companies from Friday to gradual the unfold of the virus.

The U.K. authorities will enable companies to carry on to 30 billion kilos of value-added tax, which they might usually go on to tax authorities over the subsequent three months, in order to assist their money stream. Finance minister Rishi Sunak mentioned the deferred tax wouldn’t be payable till the finish of the monetary 12 months in March 2021.

The German state of Bavaria will impose common restrictions on going exterior for 2 weeks in a bid to gradual the unfold of the coronavirus, state premier Markus Soeder mentioned on Friday. “It’s not simple to take these choices,” Soeder mentioned. “We take these choices in accordance with the better of our data and conscience. There will likely be a Bavaria after corona, however it will likely be a stronger one if we do not look away.”

Here’s what’s happening in Asia

From Reuters and The Associated Press, up to date at 9:30 p.m. ET

Malaysia will mobilize its military, beginning Sunday, to assist implement curbs on motion geared toward reining in the coronavirus, the authorities mentioned on Friday. Since Wednesday, Malaysia has closed its borders, colleges and non-essential companies for 2 weeks and ordered individuals to restrict going exterior.

In Thailand, an outbreak of the virus has been traced to a boxing occasion that passed off at the starting of March. There at the moment are 72 instances of COVID-19 from three boxing stadiums since the first cluster of transmission was reported from one match at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok held on March 6. Since these clusters have been reported, the variety of confirmed instances in Thailand has jumped to 322, doubling the quantity inside per week.

In Indonesia, Jakarta, the Istiqlal grand mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, has cancelled mass prayers for the subsequent two weeks to keep away from spreading the virus. Indonesia has had 25 deaths from COVID-19 and has 309 instances.

The international ministers of South Korea, China and Japan held a video convention on Friday to debate co-operation on the coronavirus pandemic amid rising concern over the variety of contaminated individuals arriving in their nations from abroad.

Though the epidemic erupted in China in December, and South Korea at one stage had the second-most infections, each subsequently succeeded in stifling home transmission of the virus.

South Korea reported 147 new coronavirus infections on Saturday, in accordance with the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new instances deliver the nation’s whole to eight,799.

The nation’s election fee says all voters will likely be required to put on masks and use disposable gloves at poll cubicles throughout the April 15 parliamentary elections.

Wuhan, China, the place the outbreak started, supplied a ray of hope with no new infections reported for a second day in a row and solely 39 instances reported nationwide — all of them introduced from exterior the nation, the authorities mentioned. 

The Olympic flame arrived at a Japanese air defence pressure base on Friday, however there have been no spectators at the ceremony. Organizers have repeatedly mentioned the Games will go forward as deliberate from July 24 to Aug. 9, regardless of expectations that some 600,000 spectators and athletes would descend on Tokyo.

Japan has had 963 domestically transmitted instances and 33 deaths, in accordance with public broadcaster NHK. That doesn’t embrace greater than 700 instances and seven deaths from a cruise ship moored close to Tokyo final month.

Here’s a have a look at another developments around COVID-19

• Some Canadians hoping to defer mortgage funds due to the financial influence of COVID-19 are having a tough time getting solutions from Canada’s huge banks. The nation’s six huge banks have mentioned they might work with “small enterprise banking prospects on a case-by-case foundation to offer versatile options” to assist individuals cope. But one buyer mentioned, when he referred to as, the financial institution “had no standards for what they’re on the lookout for” in order to grant a deferral. Read extra about what’s happening in the enterprise world, together with the newest from jittery inventory markets.

• Iran has introduced 149 extra fatalities from the novel coronavirus, bringing its dying toll to 1,433 amid almost 20,000 confirmed instances. Iran is battling the worst outbreak in the Middle East, and has been extensively criticized for its gradual response. The nation’s leaders struck an upbeat tone earlier Friday, issuing messages in honour of the Persian new 12 months in which they vowed to beat the pandemic.

• South Africa introduced coronavirus instances jumped to 202, the most in the sub-Saharan area, and the nation’s largest airport introduced that foreigners wouldn’t be allowed to disembark. Another African nation introduced its first case, Cape Verde. Thirty-seven nations on the continent now have instances, with a complete now properly above 800.

• Brazil is the hardest-hit nation in Latin America, with confirmed instances leaping by over 280 on Friday to 904, with 11 deaths whole. Several nations in Latin America are amongst the least ready in the world for a pandemic, with health-care methods already stretched skinny. Peruvian Minister of Defence Walter Martos beforehand advised native America TV that the nation has lower than 400 respirators accessible. “It’s not so much,” he mentioned. “Really, we do not have the infrastructure that developed nations do.”

• Australia has ratcheted up its social distancing laws to gradual the unfold of the novel coronavirus, demanding indoor venues present no less than 4 sq. metres of house per particular person. The house constraint introduced Friday follows a ban on Wednesday of non-essential indoor gatherings of greater than 100 individuals, together with weddings and eating places. Gatherings thought-about necessary embrace colleges, supermarkets and workplaces, that are exempt. Australia has additionally tightened laws on journey to and from distant Indigenous communities in a bid to spare them COVID-19 outbreaks.

• Netflix is launching a $100M US reduction fund for staff in the artistic group as the movie and tv trade suffers. The fund will likely be distributed to “third events and nonprofits offering emergency reduction to out-of-work crew and solid in the nations the place we’ve a big manufacturing base,” in accordance with a press release. That contains $1 million to be shared between the AFC, previously often called the Actors Fund of Canada, and Fondation des Artistes in Canada.

• Starting Tuesday, Cuba will cease permitting foreigners to enter the island, with the exception of residents. President Miguel Diaz-Canel made the announcement on state tv late on Friday, saying that the order would keep in place for 30 days. As of Friday, the island nation had introduced 16 instances of COVID-19 and one dying, all in individuals who had traveled abroad or been in direct contact with a traveller.