Quebec and Prince Edward Island provided details on Tuesday around their plans to reopen their economies. Manitoba plans to do the same later Wednesday, with Alberta saying its plan is expected at some point this week. Here’s a look at what’s happening in Canada, the U.S. and around the world.
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Manitoba is expected to unveil its plan to reopen the economy this afternoon, a day after Quebec announced that some businesses in the hard-hit province will be reopening in May, with Premier François Legault saying the challenge is to “gradually restart the economy without restarting the pandemic.”
Canada has more than 50,000 confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases, with almost 3,000 COVID-19-related deaths, according to a CBC News tally based on provincial data, local health information and CBC’s reporting. Quebec accounts for 25,757 of the cases and 1,682 deaths.
Legault outlined a plan that would allow some retail, construction and manufacturing operations to resume at some point next month. But the premier emphasized that the reopening of some businesses doesn’t mean that people should be congregating in groups or ignoring public health guidelines.
He also stressed the importance of continuing to protect the vulnerable, particularly those living in the province’s long-term care homes, which have seen devastating and deadly outbreaks.
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Quebec’s announcement came the same day as a briefing by federal health officials on revised projections on how the coronavirus pandemic might unfold in Canada. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said the latest data indicates that the country’s epidemic growth is slowing. The number of cases in Canada was doubling every three days early in the epidemic, officials said. The number of cases is now doubling every 16 days.
Even as she noted the progress and acknowledged the highly regional nature of the outbreaks, Tam was quick to note that the pandemic is far from over.
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Prince Edward Island, which has just 27 cases (with 24 considered recovered) also outlined its initial reopening plan on Tuesday. The small province is taking a phased approach — and like Saskatchewan and Quebec, it has attached specific dates to some early stages.
On May 1, P.E.I. will allow non-urgent health care to resume, a move that covers everything from cancer screenings to optometrist visits. There will also be some loosening of social restrictions, as non-related groups of up to five people will be allowed to visit — provided they are outside and at least two metres apart.
Phase 2, which allows small indoor and slightly larger outdoor gatherings, as well as more business openings, is set for May 22. Phase 3, which allows even larger gatherings and reopens some personal services, recreation facilities and restaurants in a limited way, is set for June 12. There’s no date attached to Phase 4, which the province describes as the “new normal” for P.E.I.
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“We need to be cautious, we need to be careful and we need to be methodical,” P.E.I. Premier Dennis King said. “There are no programs to bring people back from the dead.”
Manitoba is set to reveal its plan for reopening on Wednesday, and Alberta is expected to outline its reopening plan later this week.
“Some of this we’re going to have to make final decisions as we get closer to them, based on how well we do,” Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said. “But I do hope that we will be able to begin reopening aspects of social and economic life that have currently been suspended in the month of May.”
Ontario’s recently revealed plan has a detailed framework outlining what needs to happen before restrictions can be lifted, but Premier Doug Ford has repeatedly described the plan as a roadmap, not a calendar.
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The novel coronavirus, which was first reported in China in late 2019, causes an illness called COVID-19. Health officials have said most people who contract the virus experience mild to moderate symptoms, but have cautioned that older people and those with underlying health issues face a greater risk of severe illness or death.
There are no proven treatments or vaccines for the virus, though teams of researchers around the world are frantically working to find answers.
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As of 6 a.m. ET on Wednesday, there were more than 3.1 million known cases of the coronavirus around the world, with more than 217,000 deaths, according to a case tracking tool maintained by Johns Hopkins University.
Read on for a look at what’s happening in the provinces and territories, the U.S. and around the world.
What’s happening in the provinces and territories
British Columbia reported 55 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the provincial total to 2,053 cases. But Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said most new cases are connected to known outbreaks. Hospitalizations, however, were down. Read more about what’s happening in B.C.
Alberta released updated modelling about how the pandemic is expected to unfold in the province, and the premier said the new information suggests public health measures like physical distancing have been working. “While we are a ways off from returning to our normal way of life, we are working as a government around the clock on our phased approach to relaunch,” Jason Kenney said. Read more about what’s happening in Alberta.
Health officials in Saskatchewan, where officials recently outlined a reopening plan, reported one new case of COVID-19 on Tuesday. The provincial total sits at 366, with 291 of those infected having recovered. Read more about what’s happening in Saskatchewan, including details around revised COVID-19 projections.
Manitoba’s top doctor says data will guide the province’s strategy to reopen, which is set to be released Wednesday. Dr. Brent Roussin said the plan to ease restrictions will take a “cautious” approach. Read more about what’s happening in Manitoba.
Ontario reported 347 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, the lowest daily increase since early April. The province now has 15,728 known cases, with 9,612 of the cases considered recovered or resolved. Read more about what’s happening in Ontario.
Quebec’s school boards are working to come up with plans to allow primary students back to class while respecting the guidelines set out by the province, which include measures around keeping kids physically separated. Read more about what’s happening in Quebec, including a warning from the Montreal mayor that the summer will not be what people are used to.
New Brunswick is not allowing temporary foreign workers to enter the province in a bid to lower COVID-19 risks. Premier Blaine Higgs urged foreign workers already in the province and residents to step up and fill vacancies, but at least one farmer says the move could ruin his business. Read more about what’s happening in N.B.
Nova Scotia schools will be closed until at least May 19. Classes had been set to resume next week, but officials extended the closure due to ongoing concern about COVID-19. Read more about what’s happening in N.S.
Prince Edward Island reported one new case of COVID-19 — its first since mid-April. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison said the latest case is a man in his 50s and is rela