Well, worldwide, we have just surpassed the 5 million mark.
Worldwide stats provided by worldometers put the global COVID-19 number of reported cases today at 5,003,155. (92,674 new+) (Deaths: 325,218 and Recovered: 1,971,453) I emphasize reported because there is a wide variance in testing and manner of reporting from country to country and place to place. If I had to guess, i'd say the actual number of cases is 10 times that which is being reported.
As of 6:23 a.m. ET on Wednesday May 20, 2020:
From Global News, Canada reported 79,101 confirmed cases of COVID-19. (1,040 new+) It will be over 80,000 by tomorrow.
The official Province of Ontario website is reporting 23,384 total confirmed cases (427 new+) and 1,919 total deaths. Currently, there are 987 people are in hospital with 167 in ICU. 17,898 cases have been resolved.
Quebec continues to have the highest reported cases in the country with 44,197. (570 new+) In some good news, Quebec reported the fewest new cases of COVID-19 since April 11 as hospitalizations, ICU patients stabilize.
The Region of Durham reported 1,285 confirmed cases of COVID-19. (19 new+) The site also reports 14 (none new) current outbreaks at Hospitals, LTCF's and Retirement Homes with 13 of the outbreaks having been "concluded." Currently, there are 79 (one new+) cases in Clarington.
In international news,
The Canada-U.S. border is to remain closed to non-essential travel for another month. The extension on the existing agreement means that the border restrictions will stay in place until June 21.
In Tiger King news, signatures on the Last Will and Testament of Tiger King Carole's missing hubby are fake says experts. Handwriting expert Thomas Vastrick told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger that Lewis’ signatures look like forgeries.
From the "Just when you thought you had heard it all" file, a mink may have transmitted COVID-19 to a human, says the Dutch government. The Dutch government says it has evidence to suggest a human has contracted coronavirus from a mink. In a letter sent on Wednesday, the Dutch agriculture minister Carola Schouten said a worker on a mink farm had contracted a strain of COVID-19 that was similar to that found in an animal on the premises. She said this meant it was "likely" that mink-to-human transmission had occurred.
Prince Charles wants furloughed workers to pick fruit and vegetables. While the prince conceded that the work would be "unglamorous" and "at times, challenging," he told viewers it was of the "utmost importance" during the coronavirus pandemic.
In national news,
From the "this should make your blood boil" file, The National Post reported the Number of CERB claimants topped number of jobless by a million last month, statistics show. “The capacity for abuse or opportunistic behaviour in this program is enormous,” said Philip Cross, a former Statistics Canada economist and fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. “If you advertise that you’re going to be approved — no questions asked — you’re going to get pensioners applying for it.”
The federal government is expanding COVID-19 loan eligibility and procuring more PPE as reopening is underway. The program is targeted at small- and medium-sized businesses, and as expanded, companies who paid between $20,000 and $1.5 million in total payroll in 2019 are eligible to receive a loan.
In terms of PPE in the past week 34 planeloads of PPE have arrived in Canada, and Canada has received millions more face shields and surgical masks, as well as thousands more litres of hand sanitizer. Canada is also set to receive an order of 500,000 more N-95 respirator masks from the United States. When pressed by reporters, Trudeau said in addition to buying supplies from abroad, domestic production is continuing to increase. (Holy smokes folks, to my amazement he did indeed answer a question yesterday!) He said that, to date, the federal government has entered into 15 contracts with Canadian companies that have re-tooled to provide equipment.
In Ontario,
A Toronto spa worker's murder was committed for incel, cops allege as terror charges laid. A 17-year-old boy facing first-degree murder is believed to be the first in Canada to be charged with killing for the benefit of the incel movement as a terrorist group. The teen’s charge was changed Tuesday morning at the Ontario Court of Justice. He is accused of murdering Ashley Noell Arzaga, 24, and attempting to murder her co-worker at Crown Spa, an erotic massage parlour in Toronto, on Feb. 24. Deadly attack at Toronto erotic spa was incel terrorism, police allege.
A source told the Toronto Sun a note inside the accused’s pocket indicated the brutal incident was motivated by his loyalty to incel, which stands for ‘involuntary celibate.’ So, what is an "incel"? Wikipedia defines one as Incels (/ˈɪnsɛlz/ IN-selz), a portmanteau of "involuntary celibates", are members of an online subculture who define themselves as unable to find a romantic or sexual partner despite desiring one, a state they describe as inceldom. Discussions in incel forums are often characterized by resentment, misogyny,misanthropy, self-pity, self-loathing, racism, a sense of entitlement to sex, and the endorsement of violence against sexually active people. The American nonprofit Southern Poverty Law Center described the subculture as "part of the online male supremacist ecosystem" that is included in their list of hate groups.
Ontario is to hold an independent commission into our long-term care home system. Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton says in a statement that the commission will start in September, and in the meantime the government will be finalizing terms of reference, leadership and timelines.
It's official, public schools and over-night summer camps are cancelled in Ontario until September. Summer day camps may happen depending on what the numbers/trends look like in the coming weeks.
We hear constantly about the "numbers" at Long Term Care Facilities, but here is the human side of the story that will bring you to tears. Isolated and lonely, ‘caged’ seniors driven to despair — and defiance. Isolated in her room at Extendicare Bayview, 87-year-old Devora Greenspon says the lack of human contact is ‘like a pain in my heart.’ Outside her door, she hears screaming. “We have residents who do not want to stay in their rooms. One woman creates absolute havoc. I still feel for her because I know how she feels, being cooped up like that. I feel frustrated too.”
In local news,
From the "What an amazing, inspiring person!" file, read this article about Eileen Hindorff of Oshawa, a 70 year old PSW that continues to work in this crisis. An absolute hero.
Finally, from National Geographic, "Can planning your next trip make you happier?" Personally, I don't know....but I plan to put that theory to the test. Our vacations usually involve Mexico, but our next will no doubt be domestic.
Live coronavirus map of Canada: Tracking every case of COVID-19 in the country.
Wait times in grocery (and other) stores can be found here.
Hunting/fishing related closures in Ontario can be found here.
Town of Clarington COVID-19 updates can be found here.
Province of Ontario COVID-19 updates can be found here.
Government of Canada COVID-19 updates can be found here.
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