Close to 3,200 people have now died from the novel coronavirus in Canada, marking another sombre milestone for the country.
As of Thursday afternoon, 3,184 people had died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, in Canada. The countrywide number of coronavirus cases topped 53,000. Nunavut reported its very first case.
Quebec and Ontario are the two provinces hit hardest by COVID-19. Both Ontario and Quebec represent more than 80 per cent of all confirmed cases in Canada. Quebec reported 98 deaths on Thursday – 92 of them lived in long-term care homes. The provincial death toll stood at 1,859, which is more than half of the national death toll, while Quebec reported more than 27,000 confirmed cases.
In Ontario, there were 86 deaths on Thursday, bringing the province’s total to 1,082. The number of confirmed cases rose by 459 to more than 16,000. More than 10,000 Ontario residents have recovered from COVID-19 so far.
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2:25 Coronavirus: Ontario Government issues health and safety guidelines to businesses
Coronavirus: Ontario Government issues health and safety guidelines to businesses
Numbers are significantly lower in the Atlantic provinces, where Nova Scotia reported 12 new cases on Thursday for a total of 947 cases and 28 deaths so far. New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island all reported no cases on Thursday. All three have varying plans for gradually reopening.
Saskatchewan saw six new cases on Thursday, bringing the provincial total to 389 with six deaths so far. There are 88 active COVID-19 cases in the province – the rest are deemed recovered. The province plans to cautiously reopen its economy and services in five phases beginning on May 4.
Manitoba is also eyeing a gradual reopening, after the province reported two new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday for a total of 275. The death toll remains at six, with 220 recoveries.
Alberta too is looking to take early steps for reopening slowly. The province reported 190 new COVID-19 cases and three new deaths on Thursday, for a total of 5,355 cases and 89 deaths since the pandemic began.
British Columbia reported 25 new cases on Thursday and two new deaths, for a total of 2,112 cases and 111 deaths. More than 1,300 people have recovered in the province.
2:23 How progress on COVID-19 compares across Canada
How progress on COVID-19 compares across Canada
The Public Health Agency of Canada said Tuesday that a majority of COVID-19-related deaths in Canada — 79 per cent — are linked to long-term care homes, while people over the age of 60 account for 95 per cent of all deaths from the virus.
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Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Tuesday that the most recent federal modelling indicated that Canada’s curve is flattening.
“We are making clear progress to slow the spread and bring the epidemic under control,” she said.
1:23 Coronavirus outbreak: Canadian government expects to see between 3,227 and 3,883 deaths by May 5
Coronavirus outbreak: Canadian government expects to see between 3,227 and 3,883 deaths by May 5
In order for the epidemic to end, Tam said the country needs to get to the point where each infected individual is only transmitting the virus to less than one other person, which she said is one of the primary objectives of public health measures.
“To date, stronger controls, including physical distancing, increased testing to identify and isolate cases and trace quarantine contacts are helping to reduce the average number of people each case infects to just about one,” she said.
Prior to social-distancing measures, Tam said each person was infecting an average of at least two others.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that while the numbers show optimistic trends, Canadians shouldn’t expect a return to normal any time soon.
“Here’s the bottom line: the measures we’ve taken so far are working. In fact, in many parts of the country, the curve has flattened — but we’re not out of the woods yet,” he said.
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“We’re in the middle of the most serious public health emergency Canada has ever seen. And if we lift measures too quickly, we might lose the progress we’ve made.”
— With files by The Canadian Press, Global News reporters Gabby Rodrigues, Kalina Laframboise, Alexander Quon, Emily Mertz, Elisha Dacey
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday that defenceman Alex Edler will sign a one-day contract in order to officially retire as a member of the NHL team.
The signing will be part of a celebration of Edler’s career held Oct. 11 when the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Canucks selected Edler, from Ostersund, Sweden, in the third round (91st overall) of the 2004 NHL draft.
He played in 925 career games for the Canucks between the 2006-07 and 2020-21 seasons, ranking fourth in franchise history and first among defencemen.
The 38-year-old leads all Vancouver defencemen with 99 goals, 310 assists and 177 power-play points with the team.
Edler also appeared in 82 career post-season contests with Vancouver and was an integral part of the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, putting up 11 points (2-9-11) across 25 games.
“I am humbled and honoured to officially end my career and retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks,” Edler said in a release. “I consider myself lucky to have started my career with such an outstanding organization, in this amazing city, with the best fans in the NHL. Finishing my NHL career where it all began is something very special for myself and my family.”
Edler played two seasons for Los Angeles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He did not play in the NHL last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Billie Jean King will become the first individual female athlete to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey announced Tuesday that their bipartisan legislation had passed the House of Representatives and would be sent to President Joe Biden for his signature.
The bill to honor King, the tennis Hall of Famer and activist, had already passed unanimously in the Senate.
Sherrill, a Democrat, said in a statement that King’s “lifetime of advocacy and hard work changed the landscape for women and girls on the court, in the classroom, and the workplace.”
The bill was introduced last September on the 50th anniversary of King’s victory over Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes,” still the most-watched tennis match of all-time. The medal, awarded by Congress for distinguished achievements and contributions to society, has previously been given to athletes including baseball players Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente, and golfers Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and Arnold Palmer.
King had already been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. Fitzpatrick, a Republican, says she has “broken barriers, led uncharted paths, and inspired countless people to stand proudly with courage and conviction in the fight for what is right.”
SURREY, B.C. – Premier David Eby says new account control measures for young Instagram users introduced Tuesday by social media giant Meta are the “minimum” expected of tech companies to keep kids safe online.
The parent company of Instagram says users in Canada and elsewhere under 18 will have their accounts set to private by default starting Tuesday, restricting who can send messages, among other parental controls and settings.
Speaking at an unrelated event Tuesday, Eby says the province began talks with social media companies after threatening legislation that would put big tech companies on the hook for “significant potential damages” if they were found negligent in failing to keep kids safe from online predators.
Eby says the case of Carson Cleland, a 12-year-old from Prince George, B.C., who took his own life last year after being targeted by a predator on Snapchat, was “horrific and totally preventable.”
He says social media apps are “nothing special,” and should be held to the same child safety standards as anyone who operates a place that invites young people, whether it’s an amusement park, a playground or an online platform.
In a progress report released Tuesday about the province’s engagement with big tech companies including Google, Meta, TikTok, Spapchat and X, formerly known as Twitter, the provincial government says the companies are implementing changes, including a “trusted flagger” option to quickly remove intimate images.
— With files from The Associated Press
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024
