New maps show the location of Toronto COVID-19 hot spots

The latest novel coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Wednesday. This story is no longer being updated.

6:24 p.m.: The U.S. surpassed a jarring milestone Wednesday in the coronavirus pandemic: 100,000 deaths.

That number is the best estimate and most assuredly an undercount. But it represents the stark reality that more Americans have died from the virus than from the Vietnam and Korea wars combined.

Worldwide, the virus has infected more than 5.6 million people and killed over 350,000, with the U.S. having the most confirmed cases and deaths by far, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Europe has recorded about 170,000 deaths, while the U.S. reached more than 100,000 in less than four months.

At the end March, the United States eclipsed China with 3,500 deaths. Now, the U.S. has not only the highest death total, but the highest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the world, making up more than 30 per cent of the global total.

6:00 p.m.: Ontario’s regional health units are reporting a second day in a row with fewer than 400 new COVID-19 infections, according to the Star’s latest count.

As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, Ontario’s regional health units reported a total of 28,130 confirmed and probable cases, including 2,246 deaths.

The total of 321 new confirmed and probable cases reported since the same time Tuesday evening was again below a rising trend that last week saw the health unit report a string of days with more than 400 new cases.

 

That upward trend in infections was not felt equally in the province. The daily count of new cases has been falling outside of the GTA over the last two weeks. Meanwhile, numbers inside the region have rebounded after falling some from the peak rates seen last month.

Wednesday’s tally includes the 152 new cases Toronto and 82 more in Peel Region; together, the two health units accounted for nearly three-quarters of the province’s new infections.

Meanwhile, the 28 fatal cases reported in the province since Monday evening were in line with a recent flat trend. Still, the rate of deaths is down considerably since peaking at more than 90 deaths in a day earlier this month, about two weeks after the daily case totals hit a first peak in mid-April.

Because many health units publish tallies to their websites before reporting to Public Health Ontario, the Star’s count is more current than the data the province puts out each morning.

Earlier Wednesday, the province reported 847 patients are now hospitalized with COVID-19, including 150 in intensive care, of whom 117 are on a ventilator — numbers that have fallen about 20-30 per cent this month. The province also says more than 20,000 patients who have tested positive for the coronavirus have now recovered from the disease — more than three-quarters of the total infected.

According to the provincial data, 3,956 Ontarians have an active case of COVID-19, more than three-quarters of whom reside in the GTA.

The province says its data is accurate to 4 p.m. the previous day. The province also cautions its latest count of total deaths — 2,155 — may be incomplete or out of date due to delays in the reporting system, saying that in the event of a discrepancy, “data reported by (the health units) should be considered the most up to date.”

The Star’s count includes some patients reported as “probable” COVID-19 cases, meaning they have symptoms and contacts or travel history that indicate they very likely have the disease, but have not yet received a positive lab test.

4:50 p.m.: Residents of Toronto’s northwest and northeast suburban corners are being infected with COVID-19 more than people living in other parts of the city, according to new maps created from public health data.

The maps created with Toronto Public Health data reveal the heaviest concentrations of infected people living in northwest Etobicoke and northeast Scarborough.

Data revealed Wednesday shows where infected people live, not where they got the disease, said Dr. Eileen de Villa, the city’s chief medical officer of health. People should not be afraid to go into those areas or think that they are safe from the virus going into less affected areas.

“Our data confirms COVID-19 is present in every single neighbourhood in Toronto,” de Villa said.

2:50 p.m.: Each day the #HowsMyFlattening group, a volunteer-driven Ontario think tank, analyzes and publicly posts travel patterns, hospital capacity, the effects of public health restriction and loosening decisions, new cases and many other data points.

Soon they will add data that shows how far people are moving from their homes, analyses of job postings, spikes in emergency calls for food and shelter, and more, all in an attempt to “forecast” where the pandemic is going.

2:45 p.m.: Many more park facilities and amenities in Mississauga will begin opening up after being closed for around two months due to COVID-19 emergency measures.

Mississauga council voted to begin “phase two” of reopening June 1, which includes allowing use of park benches, picnic shelters, nine leash-free dog zones, BMX and skate parks, tennis courts and seasonal washrooms.

The reopenings will include placing new signage at the facilities and city staff will continue to “inform and educate” park users on physical distancing after opening, a report to council said.

2:30 p.m. (update): Ontario is taking over management of four of the five long-term care homes that were the subject of a Canadian Armed Forces report that the premier has called “horrific.”

Premier Doug Ford also says the government will be conducting “extremely rigorous” inspections of those homes, as well as 13 others facing challenges managing COVID-19, and will be doing random spot checks across the province.

He says Ontario is fully prepared to pull operating licences and shut down facilities if necessary, or take over management at more homes.

Ford says the province has started the takeover process at Eatonville Care Centre, Hawthorne Place Care Centre, Altamont Care Community, Orchard Villa, as well as Camilla Care Community, which was not in the report, but has seen 61 residents die during a COVID-19 outbreak.

The premier also says he is expediting an independent commission into long-term care and is hopeful it will be established in July.

Ford called in military assistance last month for five long-term care homes dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks, and they say they observed cockroach infestations, aggressive feeding that caused choking, bleeding infections, and residents crying for help for hours.

Ford has also said Ontario has launched a “full investigation” into the allegations and will share the results with police so they can look into any possible criminal charges.

Four of the five homes are private, but Ford suggests creating a fully public system wouldn’t be feasible without financial help from Ottawa.

2 p.m.: Ford says he would “absolutely” appear as a witness before the independent commission probing long-term care. “100 per cent I’ll be a witness,” says Ford. But premier says he won’t fire Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton and stands behind her.

1:57 p.m.: More than half of Canada’s national parks — including Banff in Alberta, Pacific Rim in British Columbia and Cape Breton Highlands in Nova Scotia — are to reopen next week.

Minister of Environment Jonathan Wilkinson says 29 of the 48 national parks will reopen for day use on June 1, and there will be access to washrooms.

“It’s an opportunity for folks, particularly those who live reasonably close to national parks, to be able to get out in nature in a manner that can allow physical distancing,” he told The Canadian Press.

All national parks, historic sites and marine conservation areas have been closed since the end of March to slow the spread of COVID-19.

1:50 p.m. (update): Premier Doug Ford says Canadian Armed Forces will stay on till June 12 in five homes. Those five are now being taken over and new management installed. In all, seven homes have been taken over. “I will not shy away from the horrors we found, Ford said ”

Independent commission into long-term care will start in July instead of September. Premier Doug Ford insists “no stone will be left unturned.”

Effective immediately, the government is taking over Orchard Villa in Pickering, Altamont Care Community in Scarborough, Eatonville Care Centre in Etobicoke, Hawthorne Place in North York and Camilla Care in Mississauga.

1:30 p.m.: Ontario is reporting that 47 residents have died of COVID-19 at the Salvation Army’s Isabel and Arthur Meighen Manor, according to the latest data released by the province Wednesday morning.

Six other residents and 31 staff are currently infected at the 168-bed facility near Yonge Street and Davisville Avenue.

The long-term-care home has seen one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in Ontario.

1:24 p.m.: Members of Canada’s deaf and hard-of-hearing communities say they are among the many disabled residents feeling shut out by various aspects of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

They say many aspects of the post-outbreak reality are incompatible with their unique circumstances and are calling for greater support from governments and society at large.

They say the pervasive use of masks poses a major communication barrier that many members of the public still seem unwilling to accommodate.

Other challenges come from increased dependence on technology for everyday interaction, reduced access to interpreter services, and difficulty accepting a growing number of home deliveries.

Sporadic access to key health information also remains an issue despite an increase in the use of sign language at public health and political briefings.

Disability advocacy organizations, as well as the United Nations, say these barriers are part of a broader pattern that sees disabled Canadians feeling a disproportionate impact from the global pandemic.

1:14 p.m.: Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting no new cases of COVID-19 for the 20th day in a row. The province has confirmed 260 cases of the illness overall, and 255 people have recovered.

The province’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, says one person is in the hospital due to the virus.

Three people in Newfoundland and Labrador have died from COVID-19.

The province released guidelines Wednesday for campgrounds, barber shops and other personal services, which will be permitted to open under the next reopening phase. Fitzgerald says the province is on a strong trajectory in the fight against the virus, but warns people to remain alert in the event of a second wave.

1:10 p.m.: Premier Doug Ford is set to make an announcement related to long-term care today, a day after a military report revealed allegations about five homes that the premier has called “horrific.”

Ford called in military assistance last month for five long-term care homes dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks.

The Canadian Armed Forces members say they observed cockroach infestations, aggressive feeding that caused choking, bleeding infections, and residents crying for help for hours.

Ford says Ontario has launched a “full investigation” into the allegations and will share the results with police so they can look into any possible criminal charges.

A livestream of his 1:45 p.m. news conference will be available at thestar.com

12:33 p.m.: “OK, let’s make history.” With those words from the Speaker of the House of Commons, a hybrid meeting of members of Parliament is now underway.

It’s the first time in Canadian history that MPs are able to either be in seats in the House of Commons or logged in virtually to debate.

Large screens are suspended on either side of the Speaker’s chair, and many of the nearly four dozen MPs present in person are watching them avidly as their colleagues across the country raise a range of issues.

It’s not, however, a normal sitting of the House of Commons with all the rules, tradition and privileges that entails.

Parliament itself is adjourned, largely replaced with meetings of a special committee focused almost exclusively on the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois had argued that was no longer sufficient, but lost out in a vote last night that saw the NDP back a Liberal plan to continue with the COVID-19 committee in the hybrid form that began today.

12:30 p.m.: The Manitoba government says dine-in restaurants, pools, gyms and many other services are to reopen Monday.

Bars, community centres, seniors clubs and other facilities will also be allowed to resume services after being shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

There will be limits on customer capacity and rules for physical distancing in all cases.

Schools will be allowed to offer student assessments and remedial learning, and some extra-curricular activities such as sports and band practice are to resume.

Regular classes will not restart for the rest of the school year.

Premier Brian Pallister says the changes are being made because Manitoba’s COVID-19 numbers remains low.

12:10 p.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he plans to discuss conditions in long-term care facilities with Canada’s premiers in light of reports of neglect and abuse of seniors in facilities in Quebec and Ontario.

Trudeau says the immediate priority is ensuring seniors living in these centres are getting proper care as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage.

He said he is open to having conversations about larger changes that might be necessary to improve elder care across Canada, but he does not wish to “short circuit” those conversations with”aggressive proposals” right now.

Everything is on the table as part of those discussions, Trudeau said, but he also stressed that he respects and recognize that provinces have jurisdiction over delivery of long-term care.

Trudeau was reacting to a report from the Canadian Forces that detailed conditions they found in five long-term care homes in Ontario, as well as a similar report released this morning on nursing homes in Quebec.

The military found people left in filth for weeks, others left on the floor where they had fallen, cockroach infestations, people choking while being improperly fed, patients with brutal pressure sores, and seniors pleading for help for hours to no avail.

Allegations also included failure to isolate COVID-19-positive patients from the rest of the homes and a host of hygiene issues.

Trudeau called the report “extremely troubling” and promised that the federal government will do whatever it can to help provinces improve conditions, while respecting their sole jurisdiction over long-term care facilities.

12:08 p.m. (updated): Some Montreal restaurant owners took their pots and pans to the streets Wednesday morning, demanding answers from the government on when they can reopen.

Nearly 30 restaurateurs banged their cookware while marching from Place Jacques-Cartier to Montreal City Hall during a demonstration that lasted about half an hour.

The provincial government allowed retail stores in the city with outside access to resume business this week, but it has yet to announce when restaurants can open their dining rooms.

12 p.m.: Got a question about Toronto public transit, bike lanes, or roadways in the time of COVID? Click here to join the hour-long conversation with Toronto Star transportation reporter Ben Spurr starting now.

11:54 a.m.: The military’s report into its mission inside Quebec’s long-term care homes reveals many facilities in the network continue to struggle to bring down the number of COVID-19 infections.

Members of the Canadian Armed Forces noted that upon arrival they found a widespread lack of personnel and high absenteeism, which they said negatively affected patient hygiene.

Other issues they found included problems with distribution of personal protective equipment, disappearing medical supplies and residents circulating within facilities without protective equipment.

But the report released today is less critical than one released Tuesday on the military’s mission inside five Ontario long-term care homes, which detailed allegations of insect infestations, aggressive feeding of residents, bleeding infections and residents crying for help for hours.

In most cases, the military found the situation in Quebec’s long-term care homes had improved in recent weeks and employees were gradually returning to work.

The report comes as Quebec recorded 89 additional deaths from COVID-19, bringing the total to 4,228, and 541 new cases of the disease, for a total of 49,139 cases.

11:25 a.m.: As of 11 a.m. Wednesday, Ontario’s regional health units are reported a total of 27,823 confirmed and probable cases, including 2,193 deaths.

The total of 315 new confirmed and probable cases reported since the same time Tuesday morning was again below a recent rising trend that saw the health unit totals above 400 per day most of last week.

The recent trend in infections across Ontario has not been felt equally in the province. The daily count of new cases has been falling outside of the GTA over the last two weeks. Meanwhile, numbers inside the city have rebounded after falling some from the peak rates seen last month.

The Wednesday-morning tally includes the 161 new cases Toronto reported Tuesday evening. Last month, Toronto’s daily average for new cases rose steadily to eventually peak at an average of 209 per day for the seven days ending April 23. The equivalent seven-day average is now at 215 cases per day.

Because many health units publish tallies to their websites before reporting to Public Health Ontario, the Star’s count is more current than the data the province puts out each morning.

Earlier Wednesday, the province reported 847 patients are now hospitalized with COVID-19, including 150 in intensive care, of whom 117 are on a ventilator — numbers that have fallen about 20-30 per cent this month. The province also says more than 20,000 patients who have tested positive for the coronavirus have now recovered from the disease — more than three-quarters of the total infected.

According to the provincial data, 3,956 Ontarians have an active case of COVID-19, more than three-quarters of whom reside in the GTA.

The province says its data is accurate to 4 p.m. the previous day. The province also cautions its latest count of total deaths — 2,155 — may be incomplete or out of date due to delays in the reporting system, saying that in the event of a discrepancy, “data reported by (the health units) should be considered the most up to date.”

The Star’s count includes some patients reported as “probable” COVID-19 cases, meaning they have symptoms and contacts or travel history that indicate they very likely have the disease, but have not yet received a positive lab test.

11:07 a.m.: Nova Scotia is reporting one new case of COVID-19 bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,053.

There were no new deaths reported today, leaving the province’s total at 59. Health officials say seven people are currently in hospital, with three of those patients in intensive care.

A total of 975 people have recovered and their cases of COVID-19 are considered resolved.

10:57 a.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be updating reporters at his daily briefing. A livestream of his news conference will be available at thestar.com

10:45 a.m.: A day after what he called an “appalling” military report into nursing home conditions, Premier Doug Ford is not in question period to face Opposition scrutiny.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, calling for the resignation of Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton, says “seniors are dying when they’re supposed to be protected.”

Fullerton sticks to promise for “independent commission” into nursing homes and not full public inquiry

10:35 a.m. (updated): Ontario missed provincial COVID-19 testing targets for the 10th straight day Wednesday morning despite a sharp increase in both completed tests and collected samples.

According to the province’s morning update, the labs completed 15,133 tests Tuesday, up more than 5,000 from Monday and just shy of the target of more than 16,000 per day. Ontario had not reported more than 12,000 completed tests in any day since May 16.

The provincial data also revealed a significant jump in the number of people who had a COVID-19 sample taken for testing Tuesday. Nearly 20,000 newly collected samples were added to provincial testing queues, up from about 13,000 the previous day for the highest total in 10 days.

That increase suggests a spike in activity at the province’s assessment centres. The rate of test completion in the labs has tended to lag a day or two behind demand at the centres.

Premier Doug Ford has come under fire because the province had been using less than half its available lab capacity to process tests. The province says testing labs have capacity to complete about 20,000 tests each day, but the daily total has fallen far below that since a provincewide survey of Ontario’s hard-hit long-term care homes was completed about 10 days ago.

In total, the labs completed 65,558 tests from Monday to Sunday last week, nearly 75,000 short of the stated capacity.

Despite the recent fall in testing, Ontario saw the daily average number of new COVID-19 cases rise in over the last 10 days until a downtick Tuesday

Experts have been pressing the government to test people with “occupational risk” of exposure, such as grocery clerks.

Read full story from the Star’s Rob Ferguson.

10:16 a.m.: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he wants to see the RCMP investigate conditions in long-term care homes in Ontario following allegations in a report of neglect and abuse in five homes being helped by the military.

Singh says he has written to Public Safety Minister Bill Blair saying the Canadian Forces’ report on the conditions they found should be referred to the RCMP and, should cases be found of corporate criminal neglect, that criminal charges should be laid.

He called the allegations “appalling” and said Ottawa must take swift actions to address the situation.

He is also calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to bring the long-term care system under the Canada Health Act, blaming many of the problems in these centres on the for-profit model under which many seniors’ homes in Canada operate.

10 a.m.: Parliament’s spending watchdog estimates a federal program aimed at giving small businesses a break on their rent could cost the public purse $520 million this fiscal year.

Budget officer Yves Giroux’s report this morning puts caveats on that estimate, owing in particular to the lack of clear precedent for this kind of program.

His report says that means the assumptions about industry eligibility and uptake by landlords “rely heavily on judgment.”

The program offers forgivable loans to cover half monthly rents in April, May and June, as long as landlords drop rents by at least 75 per cent over the same period for eligible small businesses.

Property owners with up to 10 eligible tenants were able to apply Monday and Tuesday,

All other landlords can apply over the remainder of the week.

9:20 a.m.: Got a question about Toronto public transit, bike lanes, or roadways in the time of COVID? Click here to join the conversation with Toronto Star transportation reporter Ben Spurr starting at noon.

9:10 a.m.: Five employees at Walmart stores in the York Region area have tested positive for COVID-19.

A spokesperson for the chain did not confirm which stores were affected, but yorkregion.com has obtained memos alerting suppliers to positive coronavirus cases in the Aurora, Thornhill and Bradford stores.

Adam Grachnik, Walmart Canada’s director of corporate affairs, said Tuesday that two stores in Vaughan have also had associates test positive, at 8300 Hwy 27 and 101 Edgley Blvd.

8:30 a.m.: When long-term-care workers were told they had to pick a single employer during the pandemic, an overwhelming number chose their city of Toronto job, the Star has learned.

Data on salary and benefits from two major unions representing workers in Toronto and beyond provided to the Star may explain why: Municipal long-term-care workers in all comparable categories were paid on average $3.18 to $4.65 more per hour than their for-profit and $3.42 to $4.60 more than their non-profit counterparts.

7:31 a.m.: Ontario has extended its COVID-19 emergency orders until June 9. That includes the closure of outdoor playgrounds, play structures, public swimming pools, as well as bars and restaurants except for takeout and delivery. Gatherings are limited to five.

Staff redeployment rules remain in place for long-term-care homes and congregate settings like retirement homes and women’s shelters.

“We are extending these emergency orders to protect the health and safety of all individuals and families as we begin to gradually and safely reopen our province,” said Premier Doug Ford.

“To build on the progress we have made to contain COVID-19, people should continue to follow these simple public health guidelines, practise physical distancing, wear a mask when it is a challenge to physical distance, and wash their hands regularly. If you think you have COVID-19 or may have been exposed to the virus, go to an assessment centre and get tested. Please stay safe.”

7:15 a.m.: Some Montreal restaurant owners are planning to take their pots and pans to the streets Wednesday morning, demanding answers on when they can reopen their restaurants.

The provincial government allowed retail stores in the city with outside access to resume business this week, but it has yet to announce when restaurants can open their dining rooms.

Earlier this month, a survey conducted by the Quebec Restaurant Association revealed 72 per cent of members wanted to reopen, even if it meant cutting seating capacity in half.

Eric Luksenberg, who owns two restaurants in Old Montreal, said that without the summer season he won’t be able to pay his rent next winter, so he came up with the idea to “make a little noise.”

Fellow owner Donato Trafficante estimates he lost more than $80,000 in revenue last weekend alone from his two establishments and says if he is unable to open this summer, it could take two to three years to recover.

He hopes Wednesday’s demonstration will attract the attention of Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante and Quebec Premier Francois Legault.

7 a.m.: South Korea reported 40 new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, its biggest daily jump in nearly 50 days, causing alarm as millions of children return to school.

Active tracing and testing had stabilized the country’s outbreak from its March highs, which allowed officials to ease social distancing guidelines.

But a steady rise in cases in the greater capital area in recent weeks has raised concerns as officials proceed with a phased reopening of schools. High school seniors returned to schools last week. More than 2 million high school juniors, middle school seniors, first- and second-graders and kindergartners were expected to return to school on Wednesday.

The Education Ministry said school openings were delayed in 561 schools nationwide due to virus worries, including 111 schools in Seoul.

South Korea’s top infectious disease expert said the country may need to reimpose social distancing restrictions because it’s becoming increasingly difficult for health workers to track the spread of the virus.

South Korea has confirmed a total of 11,265 cases of the coronavirus, including 269 deaths.

6:56 a.m.: Bank of Montreal followed other Canadian lenders in building up reserves for loan losses to brace for the aftershocks from plunging oil prices and a pandemic that’s caused a near economic standstill.

Bank of Montreal, which has consumer-banking operations in Canada and the U.S., set aside a record $1.12 billion in loan-loss provisions in the fiscal second quarter. The Toronto-based lender joins Bank of Nova Scotia and National Bank of Canada in posting a surge in provisions, which eroded earnings in results for Bank of Montreal that missed analysts’ estimates.

5 a.m.: Later this week Ontario’s medical officers of health will announce a set of specific data-based thresholds signed off by all 34 medical officers of health in the province. It will provide real benchmarks that medical officers of health can use if they feel the need to slow things down. It is speed limits, and a steering wheel.

It started with Dr. Eileen de Villa, in Toronto. And Dr. Vera Etches, in Ottawa. And Dr. Lawrence Loh, in Peel Region. They contacted colleagues in other populous areas, like Dr. Wajid Ahmed, in Windsor-Essex. The medical officers of health in this province speak frequently, compare notes, and lean on one another, especially in a pandemic. And they have recognized there was something Ontario didn’t have but needed.

“We felt that there were a lot of decisions being made which are based on the popular opinion, rather than actual evidence-based,” says Ahmed.

“I felt it, I communicated it with some of my colleagues, and some of my colleagues also agreed that it’s about time we go back to what we normally do, in terms of our expertise and taking control of our issues, which is important. We should be the ones to make some of those decisions to protect the community.”

Almost two weeks after reopening, the province has seen a significant uptick in cases over the past week that don’t reflect any reopening changes due to the delay in symptom onset, even as testing numbers collapsed to nearly half of capacity. The premier promised a new plan will be unveiled this week. And that’s before you get to the confusion in communication.

4:15 a.m.: Members of Parliament will make history today as a few dozen of them gather in the House of Commons, where they’ll be joined by the other 300-odd MPs participating via videoconference.

The new hybrid of in-person and virtual proceedings goes into effect today after the NDP joined forces Tuesday evening with the Liberals to waive normal sittings of the House of Commons for another four months while the country continues to grapple with the COVID-19 crisis.

Instead, they voted in favour of a government motion to continue with an expanded version of the special COVID-19 committee that has acted as a stand-in for the chamber over the past month.

The committee has been meeting twice a week virtually and once a week with a small group of MPs physically present in the Commons.

Starting today, all special committee meetings will be a mix of virtual and in-person, with most MPs participating via big screens set up on either side of the Speaker’s chair.

And there’ll be four meetings each week, Monday to Thursday, until mid-June.

4 a.m.: In the rubble of buildings and lives, modern U.S. presidents have met national trauma with words such as these: “I can hear you.” “You have lost too much, but you have not lost everything.” “We have wept with you; we’ve pulled our children tight.”

As diverse as they were in eloquence and empathy, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama each had his own way of piercing the noise of catastrophe and reaching people.

But now, the known U.S. death toll from the coronavirus pandemic is fast approaching 100,000 on the watch of a president whose communication skills, potent in a political brawl, are not made for this moment.

Impeachment placed one indelible mark on Donald Trump’s time in the White House. Now there is another, a still-growing American casualty list that has exceeded deaths from the Vietnam and Korean wars combined. U.S. fatalities from the most lethal hurricanes and earthquakes pale by comparison. This is the deadliest pandemic in a century.

Actual deaths from COVID-19 are almost certainly higher than the numbers show, an undercount to be corrected in time.

At every turn Trump has asserted the numbers would be worse without his leadership. Yet the toll keeps climbing. It is well beyond what he told people to expect even as his public-health authorities started bracing the country in early April for at least 100,000 deaths.

Tuesday 10 p.m.: J.K. Rowling is publishing a new story called “The Ickabog,” which will be free to read online to help entertain children and families stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic.

The “Harry Potter” author said Tuesday she wrote the fairy tale for her children as a bedtime story over a decade ago. Set in an imaginary land, it is a stand-alone story “about truth and the abuse of power” for children from 7 to 9 years old and is unrelated to Rowling’s other books.

Rowling said the draft of the story had stayed in her attic while she focused on writing books for adults. She said her children, now teenagers, were “touchingly enthusiastic” when she recently suggested retrieving the story and publishing it for free.

“For the last few weeks I’ve been immersed in a fictional world I thought I’d never enter again. As I worked to finish the book, I started reading chapters nightly to the family again,” she said.

“The Ickabog’s first two readers told me what they remember from when they were tiny, and demanded the reinstatement of bits they’d particularly liked (I obeyed).”

The first two chapters were posted online Tuesday, with daily instalments to follow until July 10.

The book will be published in print later this year, and Rowling said she will pledge royalties from its sales to projects helping those particularly affected by the pandemic.

Tuesday 9 p.m.: British Columbia didn’t report any new deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday, but there have been 11 additional cases of the virus.

A total of 2,541 people in B.C. have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and 2,122 have recovered.

There have been 161 deaths.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry urged people to continue their approaches to protecting themselves from COVID-19 as B.C. enters the second week of its economic restart plan and more activities resume.

Many B.C. businesses, including restaurants, hair salons and dentists’ offices, started reopening last week.

Tuesday 7:15 p.m.: Calgary’s mayor is warning citizens “don’t be like Toronto” and congregate in large numbers in parks.

Naheed Nenshi made the comment in reference to thousands of people who squeezed into a downtown Toronto park on Saturday, despite calls from public health officials to avoid large gatherings.

Nenshi is advising Calgarians against going to four popular parks in their city.

He is also urging people to find other areas for recreation.

“I just want to say to Calgarians, a sentence that Calgarians don’t need any reminding of — don’t be like Toronto,” Nenshi said Tuesday during a news conference.

While its number of active cases is declining, Calgary and its surrounding region remain the provincial epicentre of the virus, with 560 active cases and 101 of Alberta’s 139 deaths.

Source: – Toronto Star

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Edited By Harry Miller