St. John’s funeral home a COVID-19 ‘mini-epicentre’ after more than 60 cases after two wakes
Shannon Fleming and Edward Tobin died on the same day just two weeks ago in St. John’s, N.L.
Fleming died 12 days shy of her 37th birthday after struggling with kidney disease. Tobin, 78, died suddenly at home; he was born the same day British intelligence broke the spy codes for the Enigma machines used by Germany in the Second World War. (National Post)
The Trudeau government just can’t get their stories straight
What a bizarre week in Canadian politics. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in self-imposed quarantine because his wife Sophie was being symptomatic and tested positive for COVID-19. She was in London last week attending a conference and got infected. (True North)
Italy coronavirus deaths rise by record 475 in a day
The number of people dying from coronavirus in Italy has risen by 475 in one day to nearly 3,000 - the biggest increase since the outbreak. There are a total of 35,713 confirmed cases in the country, with more than 4,000 having successfully recovered. (BBC)Military convoy carries victims' coffins out of overwhelmed town
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Canada, U.S. closing border to all non-essential traffic
Canada and the United States have reached an unprecedented deal to close the shared border to non-essential travel, as both countries try to restrict the spread of the novel coronavirus, according to U.S. President Donald Trump. (CBC)
Public health emergency declared in B.C. while schools, bars and nightclubs ordered closed
B.C. dramatically ramped up its response to the COVID-19 pandemic Tuesday with the declaration of a public health emergency and immediate closure of bars, pubs and nightclubs, and indefinite closure of schools. (The Province)
Ontario Premier declares state of emergency
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has declared a state of emergency in response to the growing COVID-19 outbreak in the province, he announced Tuesday morning. “This is a decision that was not made lightly.” (National Post)
Trudeau bars entry into Canada to non-citizens
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau updated Canadians on the federal government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic on Monday afternoon. (True North)
Major failure by federal officials
The federal government insists that all is well, of course. “We have enhanced screening measures in place at all international airports, as well as land/rail/marine ports of entry,” Public Safety Minister Bill Blair tweeted last week. “We are taking the necessary steps to ensure that Canadians are safe in the face of COVID-19.” At a cringe-inducing press scrum Sunday night in Ottawa, Tourism Minister Mélanie Joly and Justice Minister David Lametti flopped around helplessly under sharp questioning by the Globe’s Marieke Walsh. (National Post)
COVID-19: The latest guidance for Canadians on travel, quarantines and what to do if you have symptoms
With a deluge of news about cancelled events together with conflicting information about what to do — or not do — the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic is causing confusion, uncertainty and worry among many Canadians. (CBC)
A ‘pause’ on the world of sports is the right thing to do
It was inevitable, really, but when the announcement came it still sucked the air out of the room. Our arenas have gone dark. There will be no more games in the foreseeable future. A couple of days ago we were all talking about the Vancouver Canucks’ stretch drive, their second line, their defensive woes — any number of issues connected to the team. Now we wake up to find Brock Boeser’s deployment isn’t terribly relevant anymore. (The Province)
