Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday called the need to stay at home to slow the spread of COVID-19 a “duty” for Canadians — but with case numbers on the rise, health systems are trying to free up space ahead of an expected surge of coronavirus patients. Here’s a look at what’s happening in Canada and around the world today.
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday called the need to stay at home to slow the spread of COVID-19 a “duty” for Canadians — but with case numbers on the rise, health systems are trying to free up space ahead of an expected surge of coronavirus patients.
The prime minister outlined some of the public health and financial measures the government is taking to try and clamp down on the virus and support people struggling with the financial fallout of the pandemic. But he said the government alone can’t win the fight.
“We must fulfil our collective responsibility to each other. Listening to public health rules is your duty.”
Global numbers of recorded coronavirus cases are approaching one million, according to a database maintained by a U.S. university, with almost 10,000 of those reported cases in Canada.
- ANALYSIS | Canadians want to know how bad this could get. Is anyone ready to tell us?
- Ottawa ‘likely did not have enough’ protective gear stockpiled: Hajdu
- Wear masks if you want — but keep up the handwashing and physical distancing, say Tam and Hajdu
- Alberta hospitals prepare for COVID-19 influx ‘that will certainly test our capacity’
Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University has been tracking the recorded cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by a novel coronavirus that first emerged in China. The database, which shows a worldwide total of more than 940,000 cases, draws data from a range of sources including the World Health Organization, national and regional health agencies and media reports, but experts say the real spread of the virus is likely wider than suggested by recorded cases.
The real figures are believed to be much higher because of testing shortages, differences in counting the dead and large numbers of mild cases that have gone unreported. Critics say some governments have been deliberately under-reporting cases in order to avoid public criticism.
In Canada, provinces and territories are implementing ever-tighter public health measures and restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the disease, as well as planning ahead for an expected surge in hospitalizations.
WATCH | Health minister says Canada ‘likely did not have enough’ protective gear:
Health Minister Patty Hajdu says that successive federal governments have for decades underfunded public health preparedness, resulting in an insufficient amount of personal protective equipment in the federal pandemic stockpile. 1:58
In Alberta, health officials have delayed surgeries, expanded ERs and made moves to allow Alberta Health Services to free up beds for an expected increase in COVID-19 patients.
Dr. Neil Collins, who has been handling the coronavirus response for emergency departments in the Calgary health zone, told CBC Calgary that “we are preparing for an increase that will certainly test our capacity.”
Premier Jason Kenney said this week that things “will get worse before they get better,” but also said the province’s health system has the equipment and staff needed to cope with the peak of the outbreak, which the province says could come in May. Kenney has said his province plans to present a “fairly detailed briefing” on its modelling for the pandemic in Alberta.
Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington, Ont., is installing a temporary 93-bed structure on its grounds to help prepare for an uptick in cases. The hospital’s chief of staff, Dr. Ian Preyra, says the pandemic response unit will allow the hospital to keep its critical-care and high-acuity beds for the sickest patients.
In Sudbury Ont., Health Sciences North recently admitted its first COVID-19 patient. The hospital had already cancelled elective surgeries and is making moves to free up beds.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) says COVID-19 presents a “serious” health risk in Canada, noting that though risk varies in different communities, the risk to Canadians is “high.” The federal public health agency, which has been monitoring the situation and evolving research around the novel coronavirus, said in its public page on risk: “If we do not flatten the epidemic curve now, the increase of COVID-19 cases could impact health-care resources available to Canadians.”
Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, said Wednesday that on the public health side, officials are working to try and flatten the curve and slow the spread of infection through measures like physical distancing and urging proper hygiene. At the same time, she said, the health-care system is working to quickly ramp up capacity ahead of an expected surge of COVID-19 patients.
Here’s what’s happening in the provinces and territories
As of 6 a.m. ET Thursday, provinces and territories had reported 9,731 confirmed and presumptive cases, with 129 deaths. The provinces and territories that provide data on the cases considered resolved listed 1,739 cases as recovered.
Public health officials have cautioned that the numbers likely don’t capture the full scope of the outbreak because they don’t include people who haven’t been tested and potential cases still under investigation. Get a deeper look at what’s happening in your area through the CBC case tracker.
British Columbia is offering some relief to customers on hydro bills, including credits for residential customers who have lost income and assistance for affected businesses. Read more about what’s happening in B.C.
Alberta reported two more COVID-19 related deaths on Wednesday as reported case