COVID-19, City Toronto Daily Briefing, Tuesday, April 29, 2020

COVID-19, City Toronto Daily Briefing, Tuesday, April 29, 2020

City of Toronto Daily Briefing, Respond to COVID19.



Mayor John Tory, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa, and Fire
Chief and General Manager of the Office of Emergency Management Matthew Pegg,
today, provided an update on the City’s continuing response to COVID-19.

COVID-19 Daily Briefing: April 29, 2020

Sahar-TV Network #COVID-19 Daily Briefing: April 29, 3:45pm

Toronto. Mayor John Tory, Toronto's Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, and Toronto Fire Chief and General Manager of the City’s Office of Emergency Management, Matthew Pegg, provide an update of the current situation and City response to COVID-19 in Toronto.

Daily Briefing response to COVID19 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Daily Briefing response to COVID19 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Mayor John Tory, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa, and Fire Chief and General Manager of the Office of Emergency Management Matthew Pegg, today, provided an update on the City’s continuing response to COVID-19. Take a Watch it, 

COVID-19 Daily Briefing: Monday, April 27, 2020,

Welcome to the Broad Casting Board of Sahar-TV Network - Multicultural Community  Programs. Monday, April 27 2020. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Mayor John Tory, Toronto's Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, and Toronto Fire Chief and General Manager of the City’s Office of Emergency Management, Matthew Pegg, provide an update of the current situation and City response to COVID-19 in Toronto. Take a Watch it

City Toronto Daily Briefing

CITY TORONTO DAILY BRIEFING:
Mayor John Tory, Toronto's Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, and Toronto Fire Chief and General Manager of the City’s Office of Emergency Management, Matthew Pegg, provide an update of the current situation and City response to COVID-19 in Toronto

City of Toronto begins targeted spring cleanup across the city.

City of Toronto begins targeted spring cleanup across the city.

How one of Canada's worst mass killings unfolded across northern Nova Sc...

Breaking News, Friday, April24, 2020, City Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Premier Doug Ford’s mother-in-law tests positive for coronavirus at long-term care home Premier Doug Ford's 95-year-old mother-in-law, who lives at a long-term care home, has tested positive for coronavirus, according to a statement from his office. The confirmation comes after Ford became visibly shaken during a news conference Thursday afternoon. He was asked if the Ontario government failed long-term care home residents given that more than 500 people have died in Ontario facilities. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the country was "failing" elders. "When I think of the long-term care ... my heart breaks for the people and the families. Can we do better in the system? Yeah, the system, absolutely, but we're focused 100 per cent on making sure we help the most vulnerable people," Ford said. He went on to reference a front-page photo of the Toronto Sun. "You see a loved one with their... their elderly parent and they put their hand up against the window, that's heart-breaking... You know I, I relate to it in my own family as I mentioned with my wife Karla, and there was a person that got on a cherry picker. Um," Ford said before pausing, exhaling and briefly lifting his arm. "Anyways, the system we can do better." When pressed on the question again, he reiterated the need for systemic change -- something he said his government was doing. "Right now our main focus is to make sure that we protect the people inside these long-term care homes," Ford said. On Thursday, the federal government approved a request from the Ontario government for the Canadian Armed Forces to help long-term care homes with operational needs. As of Thursday, there were COVID-19 outbreaks at 132 long-term care homes. There were 2,189 confirmed resident cases and 1,058 confirmed staff cases. There were 516 deaths. How one of Canada's worst mass killings unfolded across northern Nova Scotia…. HALIFAX — The first thing Malcolm Ryan noticed were the fires. Ryan, 81, looked out his bedroom window at about 11:15 p.m. Saturday and across the Portapique River, where he saw a wharf and, further down the shoreline, a small cabin engulfed in flames on the property of Gabriel Wortman, whose home overlooks a marshy area of Cobequid Bay. "It was absolutely ablaze," Ryan told The Canadian Press. "His home wasn't on fire, it was just the jetty and the A-frame." Investigators are still piecing together how Wortman blazed a path of destruction across central and northern Nova Scotia last weekend, killing 22. While police have not publicly identified the victims nor provided a full timeline, it is possible to begin to piece together what happened through witness accounts, police statements and the updates they provided on Twitter in real time. The deadly rampage took place over 16 crimes scenes, beginning in the quiet cottage community of Portapique and ending a little more than 12 hours later at a gas station in Enfield, N.S., where the suspect died in a confrontation with RCMP. The events began just before 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, when Nova Scotia RCMP received a call about a person with a firearm in the area of Portapique Beach Road, in the community about 40 kilometres west of Truro. Officers arriving on scene found a chaotic and horrifying scene, with "multiple casualties" both inside and outside of a home, but no sign of the shooter, RCMP Chief Supt. Chris Leather would later say. A first Twitter message went out, asking the public to stay inside. A search of the area revealed "additional victims and several structure fires." Audio recordings of first responders provide a glimpse of their frantic attempts to help the victims found amid the burning homes. On one of the recordings, stored on the Broadcastify website, a first responder dispatched to the scene tells the dispatcher they can see something burning in the distance. As police locate victims, calls for ambulances begin to multiply. "It's very vague what's going on down there but there is for sure multiple patients down there," says a paramedic. In an 11:20 p.m. call, the dispatcher says of the suspect:  "No, they don't know if they've caught him." Clinton Ellison told CBC news he heard a gunshot and saw the glow of a fire some time after 10 p.m., and his brother Corrie went out to investigate. When he went to look for him, Clinton Ellison found his brother's body laying on a dark road. Ellison told the news network he ran into the woods to avoid a bobbing flashlight, and spent the next several hours lying on the freezing ground, listening to the sound of gunshots and crackling fires in an experience he said was "worse than a horror movie." In the hours that followed, frightened residents locked their doors and peered out at a parade of police sirens and armed officers swarming the quiet town, as fires glowed eerily in the windless sky. Among the early victims were Wortman's neighbours, Jolene Oliver, who was turning 40 this year, her husband Aaron Tuck, 45, and their 17-year-old daughter Emily. Oliver's sister, Tammy Oliver-McCurdie, said she learned Sunday evening that the family had been found dead in their Portapique home. She said it was a small comfort to know that the close trio died together. "No matter how much they went through in life they always stayed tougher, and there was times that they had nothing," she said in a phone call from Alberta. Also killed in the Portapique area were Greg and Jamie Blair, who ran a natural gas and propane sales and installation business and had two young children, Peter and Joy Bond and Lisa McCully, an elementary school teacher. Justin Zahl, said the house of his parents, Elizabeth Joanne Thomas and John Zahl, burned down and he is awaiting confirmation of their deaths. Early Sunday between 7 and 8 a.m., RCMP received information that the suspect had escaped the police perimeter. Thanks to a "key witness," they learned he was wearing an authentic RCMP uniform and driving a replica RCMP car, Leather said, although that information was not made public until after 10 a.m. At 8 a.m., the RCMP began what was to become a series of Twitter messages, warning of an "active shooter" situation and telling residents to remain in their homes. "You may not see the police, but we are there with you," they said on Twitter. But on Sunday morning the killer shifted some 40 kilometres northeast to a quiet rural road in Wentworth, N.S., when police received a call about a possible female victim on Highway 4 at around 9:30 a.m. David and Heather Matthews were out for a stroll in a wooded valley in Wentworth at around 9:20 am. on Sunday morning when the couple heard a "pop," which they said sounded like it could be a gunshot, or perhaps just a car backfiring. Shortly after the Matthews returned home, their phone started ringing with warnings from friends that there was an active shooter on the loose in the neighbourhood. They later learned that a neighbour and fellow walker, Lillian Hyslop, was gunned down that morning on a road nearby. In Wentworth, the gunman also killed prison guard couple Sean McLeod and Alanna Jenkins. Another victim, Tom Bagley, died as he walked towards a burning house to try to help, his daughter Charlene Bagley said. Throughout the morning, RCMP provided updated on the suspect's location as they tracked him through the Glenholme, Central Onslow and Debert areas outside Truro. Leather would later say the killer's police uniform and vehicle helped him avoid detection and stay steps ahead. At 9:59 a.m., Heather O'Brien, a nurse from the Truro, N.S. area, sent her last text message to a family group chat before getting in her car. By 10:15 she was gone, her daughter Darcy Dobson said. "She drove down the same street in the same town she drives through every single day," said Dobson, who asked that her mother be remembered for her kindness, dedication to work, and love of holidays and her grandchildren rather than the tragedy. Kristen Beaton, another nurse who worked for the same organization as O'Brien, was also a victim in the area at around the same time. By 11 a.m. the suspect had turned south from Truro, heading down Highway 102 towards Halifax, according to the RCMP. It was in the Shubenacadie area, late Sunday morning, when the suspect had a confrontation with Const. Heidi Stevenson, a 23-year veteran of the RCMP and mother of two. While what happened there is the subject of a separate investigation, onlookers took photographs and video that show what looked like two RCMP vehicles on fire and a body on the ground. By the time it ended, two cars were engulfed in flames, including the suspect's mock cruiser, the RCMP said, and Stevenson was dead in the line of duty. Joey Webber, who had gone on a family errand toward Shubenacadie was a victim from the area, as was 54-year-old cancer survivor Gina Goulet, who worked as a denturist — the same field as gunman. Soon after, police said Wortman, now driving a silver SUV, was heading through Milford. They caught up with him at a gas station in Enfield, N.S., at around 11:25 a.m. A confrontation followed, with officers firing at the suspect, who was later declared dead. Police have said it will take time to unravel the complex details of one of Canada's worst mass murders. For now, they haven't elaborated on the suspect's motive, other than to say that some of the killings appeared to be targeted, while others seemed random. They have set up a tip line, asking anyone with details on what happened to call. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2020. Written by Morgan Lowrie with files from Michael MacDonald, Holly McKenzie-Sutter, Michael Tutton and Adina Bresge. Latest Federal News

PM Trudeau Announces $1.1 Billion for National Medical & Research Strategy In today’s briefing, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged that we are all going through tough times right now, but there are many causes for hope. We need to think not just about the days ahead, but the weeks and months ahead, and we won’t be able go back to our lives 100% until we have a vaccine. That’s why we announced more than $1 billion in new funding to support research, testing, and vaccine development:  The first pillar of the plan is $115 million to fund vaccine development and treatments, which is on top of the funding already provided for vaccines The second pillar is $662 million to test those treatment options with clinical trials here in Canada The third pillar is $350 million to expand national COVID-19 testing and modelling This includes a new Canada Immunity Taskforce, led by Dr. David Naylor, Dr. Catherine Hankins, Dr. Tim Evans, Dr. Theresa Tam, and Dr. Mona Nemer Canada’s best and brightest will be working on serology (antibody) testing, which will help show how many Canadians had the virus but had minimal or no symptoms, who if anyone is immune to the virus, and how and why the virus impacts certain groups more than others The Prime Minister also made these important points:  For us to start going back to normal, we need to dramatically increase our testing. Right now, Canada tests around 20,000 people per day, double where we were earlier this month, but we must increase it much much more  He addressed the completely unacceptable situation in long-term care homes. Ontario has now asked for assistance from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), and while they will of course step up to help, he said this cannot be a long term solution. The CAF should not be the ones to be taking care of our seniors ongoing Finally, when asked if he regretted not moving straight to a universal benefit model he responded that the federal government knew from the start there would be corrections and changes to make, but we do not want the perfect to be the enemy of the good. Our strategy has been to get money to those who need it most as quickly as possible, and make changes as they become clearly needed   Daily Update From Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam To date, over 620,000 Canadians have been tested for COVID-19, with over 6.5% testing positive Dr. Tam spoke today about the great scientific progress we’ve already made, from discovery and genetic sequencing of the virus in January to building on our understanding of COVID-19 disease characteristics and spread, we have progressed in leaps and bounds If we reflect back on prior pandemics we can see some of the advantages of a more virtually connected and technology-powered society. But this, like everything else, is made better, faster and more powerful when we work together towards a shared goal. Right now we have researchers collaborating across borders, data trackers scraping the web to share up-to-the-minute statistics for all the world to see, and virtual collaboration platforms sharing accelerated research findings on the virus “While one of the downsides of a highly connected world is the ever present risk of emerging diseases that spread rapidly around the world, today's announcements give us hope for our future. In a world that is connected and united towards a goal, and with brain power that is funded, supported and trusted, we can reach a whole new level of capacity to respond to infectious disease threats—now and into the future. Go science!”  As always, if you believe you have COVID-19 symptoms, use the government’s self-assessment tool online or on the Canada COVID-19 Support App   Breakdown of the New Funding for Research and Vaccine Development The Minister of Health, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, and the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, Navdeep Bains, gave more details on the new funding for science today. Minister Hajdu remarked on the amazing cooperation of Canadians during this time, from politicians at the federal and provincial levels working together, to businesses changing their goal practically overnight, to individual citizens volunteering to help those in need.  She also thanked the public service, saying “Our public officials are holding meetings, calling people, getting information and data that we need, working with scientists and researchers, providing the government with regular updates, holding media conferences and doing everything in between, and I am incredibly proud to be Canadian and to have such an amazing civil service that serves us every day...so diligently and with such compassion.”   Here is the full breakdown of the new funding:  The establishment of the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force that will operate under the direction of a leadership group, which will include Dr. David Naylor, Dr. Catherine Hankins, Dr. Tim Evans, Dr. Theresa Tam, and Dr. Mona Nemer. The task force will establish priorities and oversee the coordination of a series of country-wide blood test surveys that will tell us how widely the virus has spread in Canada and provide reliable estimates of potential immunity and vulnerabilities in Canadian populations $40 million for the Canadian COVID-19 Genomics Network (CanCOGeN), led by Genome Canada, to coordinate a COVID-19 viral and host genome sequencing effort across Canada. This research will help track the virus, its different strains, and how it makes people sick in different ways, providing valuable information to public health authorities and decision-makers as they put in place measures to control the pandemic. The results of this work will be available to researchers globally to support additional research and vaccine development efforts. $23 million for the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac) to accelerate development of a vaccine against COVID-19. This funding will support pre-clinical testing and clinical trials of a potential COVID-19 vaccine—essential steps to ensuring that vaccines are effective and safe for human use. $29 million for the National Research Council of Canada to begin the second phase of critical upgrades to its Human Health Therapeutics facility in Montréal. Building on ongoing work to ready the facility for the production of vaccines for clinical trials, this funding will support operations to maintain the facility, as well as provide infrastructure to prepare vials for individual doses as soon as a vaccine becomes available. $600 million, through the Strategic Innovation Fund, over two years to support COVID-19 vaccine and therapy clinical trials led by the private sector, and Canadian biomanufacturing opportunities. $10 million for a Canadian data monitoring initiative to coordinate and share pandemic-related data across the country to enhance Canada’s response to COVID-19 $10.3 million over two years, and $5 million ongoing, to support the Canadian Immunization Research Network in conducting vaccine-related research and clinical trials, and to enhance Canada’s capacity to monitor vaccine safety and effectiveness $114.9 million through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for research projects that will accelerate the development, testing, and implementation of medical and social countermeasures to mitigate the rapid spread of COVID-19, as well as its social and health impacts. Separately, the Government of Canada is providing over $675,000 through the Stem Cell Network to support two new research projects and one clinical trial. The clinical trial will evaluate the safety of a potential cell therapy to reduce the impacts and severity of acute respiratory distress associated with COVID-19, and the two projects will generate critical information about how cells in the airway and brain are affected by the virus.   We also heard from the Chief Science Advisor of Canada, Dr. Mona Nemer, who explained a bit about serology testing:  The current widespread testing, or PCR testing, checks the presence of the virus, so it provides important data on who is infected at a given time. Serology testing checks for antibodies that are generated in response to an infection; so they tell us who has already had exposure to the virus or who was infected but didn't know it. Together, the two tests will give us a better idea of the rate of infection in the general population. Serology will also tell us how quickly immunity develops and also if it fades. This is important in guiding our recovery strategies. Other important information that we are still missing is how quickly the virus changes or mutates to escape detection and whether certain individuals are more susceptible to infection or less able to overcome it.  The genomic initiatives aim at sequencing several viral isolates and determining the DNA sequence of infected individuals. Together, the immunity and the genomic initiatives will guide vaccine development and help prevent future infections. The announcements to enable immunity testing, genomic sequences, disease modelling and vaccine research and development provide much needed support for the research that will help us win the war against COVID-19 and will help our governments make evidence-informed decisions that will ultimately benefit us all. Stay up to date at all Levels of Government Canada – Federal: Canada.ca/coronavirus Ontario – Provincial: Ontario.ca/coronavirus Toronto – City: Toronto.ca/coronavirus Thank you again for doing all you can to flatten and crush the curve! We are seeing positive signs that our efforts are working, so stay strong. All My Best  Lalaka

COVID-19 Daily Briefing: April 24, 2020

Mayor John Tory, Toronto's Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, and Toronto Fire Chief and General Manager of the City’s Office of Emergency Management, Matthew Pegg, provide an update of the current situation and City response to COVID-19 in Toronto.

[Thursday, April 23, 2020. Breaking News and Community Update. @CityNews...

Sahar-TV Network, Thursday, April 23, 2020. 

BREAKING NEWS and Community Update. 

Ramadan Mubarak Month starts tonight after sunset,at 12am. Ramadan marks a sacred time of the year for the Muslim community. Wishing the Muslim community a Happy Ramadan, may this Ramadan bring joy, happiness and wealth to you and your families. 

Normally an opportunity to spend time with family and faith-based communities, the City urges everyone to continue to follow provincial orders closing places of worship and limiting gatherings as well as the public health recommendations to remain at home, leaving only for essential reasons. The holidays are important spiritually and emotionally for many and to support this people are encouraged to connect with loved ones, friends, and vulnerable members of the community online or by phone. Residents should also check with their place of worship for information on online services and other innovative ways to connect while staying physically apart.

I want to thank everyone for your efforts during this very difficult time. It is very important for all of us, to the best of our ability to follow the mandatory social distancing bylaw!

Stay up to date at all Levels of Government

Canada – Federal: Canada.ca/coronavirus 

Ontario – Provincial: Ontario.ca/coronavirus

Toronto – City: Toronto.ca/coronavirus .

[Thursday, April 23, 2020. Breaking News and Community Update. @CityNews...

Sahar-TV Network, Thursday, April 23, 2020. 

BREAKING NEWS and Community Update. 

Ramadan Mubarak Month starts tonight after sunset,at 12am. Ramadan marks a sacred time of the year for the Muslim community. Wishing the Muslim community a Happy Ramadan, may this Ramadan bring joy, happiness and wealth to you and your families. 

Normally an opportunity to spend time with family and faith-based communities, the City urges everyone to continue to follow provincial orders closing places of worship and limiting gatherings as well as the public health recommendations to remain at home, leaving only for essential reasons. The holidays are important spiritually and emotionally for many and to support this people are encouraged to connect with loved ones, friends, and vulnerable members of the community online or by phone. Residents should also check with their place of worship for information on online services and other innovative ways to connect while staying physically apart.

I want to thank everyone for your efforts during this very difficult time. It is very important for all of us, to the best of our ability to follow the mandatory social distancing bylaw!

Stay up to date at all Levels of Government

Canada – Federal: Canada.ca/coronavirus 

Ontario – Provincial: Ontario.ca/coronavirus

Toronto – City: Toronto.ca/coronavirus .

Mayor Tory's statement on the second anniversary of the Yonge Street Tra...

In remembrance of the people who lost their lives, survivors and all those impacted by the tragedy, the City will live stream a statement by Mayor John Tory at 9 a.m. on Thursday, April 23.

The latest news on the COVID-19 global pandemic (all times Eastern)

12:20 p.m.

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam says over 576,000 people have now been tested for COVID-19 in Canada.

She says 6.5 per cent of those tests were positive.

Tam says as Canada continues to make progress in slowing the spread, there are bumps in the road that mean the country can't let down its guard.

She says a focus must be placed on stopping outbreaks in places like seniors homes and other places where vulnerable populations live together in close quarters.

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12:10 p.m.

Ontario is expanding COVID-19 testing to every resident and worker in the province's long-term care homes, as nearly 450 residents have died amid growing outbreaks in the facilities.

Provincial health officials have previously resisted calls for such widespread testing of asymptomatic people.

But a new memo from the deputy ministers of health and long-term care, as well as Ontario's chief medical officer of health, tells public health units to immediately develop plans for the broad testing.

As of today, there have been at least 448 deaths in long-term care in Ontario, amid outbreaks at 127 facilities.

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11:50 a.m.

Trudeau says that over the past month about 20,000 Canadians have returned to the country on repatriation flights.

He says he knows there are still Canadians all around the world who still want to come back, and the government continues to work with other countries to make that happen.

All returning Canadians are required to quarantine for 14 days.

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11:30 a.m.

Nova Scotia is reporting two more deaths related to COVID-19, bringing the province's total to 12.

The deaths occurred at the Northwood long-term care home in Halifax.

The province is also reporting 35 new cases of the virus bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 772.

It says 10 licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors' facilities in Nova Scotia are dealing with cases of COVID-19, involving 148 residents and 65 staff. 

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11:25 a.m.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is unveiling a $9 billion emergency program aimed at students.

It includes a Canada Emergency Student Benefit worth at least $1250 a month from May to August.

The benefit can be accessed by those in post-secondary school now, headed to post secondary school in September or anyone who graduated after December 2019.

The government is also creating 76,000 job placements for young people in sectors currently dealing with labour shortages.

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10:35 a.m.

Ontario is reporting 510 new cases of COVID-19 today and 37 more deaths.

That brings the total number of cases in the province to 12,245 — a 4.3 per cent increase over Tuesday, which is the lowest growth rate in weeks.

The total also includes 659 deaths and 6,221 cases that have been resolved, which puts the percentage of resolved cases over 50 per cent for the first time.

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8:50 a.m.

The chief of a First Nation in northeastern Alberta says a local curfew has been imposed between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., affecting all members of the Fort Chipewyan, Allison Bay and Doghead reserves.

Chief Archie Waquan of the Mikisew Cree First Nation says he remembers his father's stories about the influenza pandemic of 1918 and he is not going to let COVID-19 devastate his people in the same way.

Waquan says he recognizes there may be opposition to the curfew but he doesn't want a repeat of the Spanish flu outbreak when his father told him the First Nation could not bury its dead fast enough.

The First Nation has no cases of COVID-19 but proactively declared a state of local emergency last month and took other steps to ensure members have access to food and cleaning supplies.

Stay up to date at all Levels of Government

Canada – Federal: Canada.ca/coronavirus 

Ontario – Provincial: Ontario.ca/coronavirus

Toronto – City: Toronto.ca/coronavirus .

COVID-19 Daily Briefing: April 22, 2020

Mayor John Tory, Toronto's Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, and Toronto Fire Chief and General Manager of the City’s Office of Emergency Management, Matthew Pegg, provide an update of the current situation and City response to COVID-19 in Toronto.

COVID-19 Daily Briefing: April 21, 2020

Mayor John Tory, Toronto's Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, and Toronto Fire Chief and General Manager of the City’s Office of Emergency Management, Matthew Pegg, provide an update of the current situation and City response to COVID-19 in Toronto.

COVID-19 Daily Briefing: April 20, 2020

Mayor John Tory, Toronto's Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, and Toronto Fire Chief and General Manager of the City’s Office of Emergency Management, Matthew Pegg, provide an update of the current situation and City response to COVID-19 in Toronto.

The latest news on the global pandemic, City Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Breaking News & Community response to #COVID 19, City #Toronto, #Ontari...

TORONTO — Premier Doug Ford has announced $20 million in funding for Ontario researchers trying to find a vaccine for COVID-19, as cases of the virus climbed passed the 10,000 mark in the province on Saturday.



There were 485 new cases announced by health officials today and 36 more deaths, bringing the toll to 514.



There are currently 828 people in hospital with COVID-19, and 250 of them are in intensive care, according to the Ministry of Health.



Ford said Ontario researchers have already made strides in vaccine research by isolating the virus and acquiring blood samples of people who have beat COVID-19, which are two initial steps in development. He also touted Ontario's history of medical achievements, including discovering insulin, as evidence that researchers in the province could develop a vaccine.



Ford said life won't be able to return to normal until a vaccine is found. "Until we find a vaccine, going back to normal means putting lives at risk," said Ford during his daily press conference on Saturday.



"Letting our guard down means potentially exposing millions of people to the virus."



The province is set the unveil new projections about the effect of the coronavirus in Ontario on Monday, which the premier has called encouraging.



But he warned opening up the province carefully will be "twice as hard" as the current lockdown.



"I'm not rushing into this and not opening up the floodgates," said Ford.



"We're going to make sure we're going to do this by the advice of chief medical officer."



Stay up to date at all Levels of Government

Canada – Federal: Canada.ca/coronavirus



Ontario – Provincial: Ontario.ca/coronavirus



Toronto – City: Toronto.ca/coronavirus .



Thank you again for doing all you can to flatten and crush the curve!

We are seeing positive signs that our efforts are working, so stay strong.

All My Best

Lalaka

Breaking News Sahar-TV Network

Breaking News & Community response to COVID19,  Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

PM under pressure to flesh out promise to top up pay for long-term care workers

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be under pressure today to flesh out his promise to do more to protect seniors in long-term care homes, which have been hardest hit by the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

Trudeau promised earlier this week that the federal government would provide funding to top up the wages earned by essential workers in nursing homes who earn less than $2,500 a month.

That promise was discussed during a conference call among first ministers late Thursday.

No details of the call were immediately forthcoming, other than a brief summary of the discussion issued by the Prime Minister's Office which said first ministers "agreed on the urgent need to ensure long-term care facilities have the resources they need to protect the health and well-being of their residents and workers."

Since the salaries paid to workers in long-term care homes fall under provincial jurisdiction, Trudeau has been clear that whatever the federal government does must be in collaboration with the provinces.

Seniors Minister Deb Schulte told CBC News late Thursday that the federal government will boost transfer payments to the provinces and territories to allow them to top up wages. She did not say how much money Ottawa is prepared to ante up.

Personal support workers in nursing homes often work poorly paid part-time jobs in multiple facilities, which has contributed to the spread of COVID-19.

Topping up their wages is intended to compensate them for orders in some provinces that ban them from working in more than one facility. It's also intended to encourage them to stay on a job that has become increasingly risky as COVID-19 sweeps like wildfire through long-term care homes across Canada.

About half of Canada's more than 1,000 deaths from COVID-19 have involved residents of long-term care facilities.

Quebec has already announced it will top up the wages of essential workers in nursing homes; Ontario Premier Doug Ford indicated Thursday that his province will follow suit but first he wanted to see what financial assistance Ottawa would offer.

Trudeau's government will also be under pressure today from the Conservatives to have in-person sittings of the House of Commons throughout the crisis.

Parliament has been adjourned since mid-March, except for two single-day sittings to pass emergency aid legislation. It is to resume business as usual on Monday, unless all four recognized parties in the Commons agree to a further suspension of business.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is insisting that a small group of MPs must sit up to four days each week in the Commons in order to hold the government to account for what he contends is a sloppy response to the health crisis.

Until the logistics for a virtual Parliament can be worked out, Trudeau's Liberals have offered to sit one day a week, with two or three hours devoted to what's called committee of the whole, which would allow for longer questions and more thorough answers than are allowed during the normal 45-minute daily question period.

In a letter late Thursday to Commons Speaker Anthony Rota, Conservative whip Mark Strahl argued that regular sittings could be done safely without putting at risk the health of MPs or Commons staff at a time when all Canadians are being advised to keep two-metres physical distance from one another and stay home as much as possible.

Strahl said only essential staff necessary for the operation of the Commons should be required to work, they should be issued with masks and gloves where necessary and hand sanitizing stations should be set up at entrances and exits of the Commons and other strategic locations throughout the parliamentary precinct.

The latest numbers on COVID-19 in Canada

The latest numbers of confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 4 a.m. ET on April 17, 2020: 

 There are 30,106 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada.

_ Quebec: 15,857 confirmed (including 630 deaths, 2,841 resolved)

_ Ontario: 8,961 confirmed (including 423 deaths, 4,194 resolved)

_ Alberta: 2,158 confirmed (including 50 deaths, 914 resolved)

_ British Columbia: 1,575 confirmed (including 78 deaths, 983 resolved)

_ Nova Scotia: 579 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 176 resolved)

_ Saskatchewan: 305 confirmed (including 4 deaths, 219 resolved)

_ Newfoundland and Labrador: 252 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 170 resolved)

_ Manitoba: 239 confirmed (including 5 deaths, 121 resolved), 11 presumptive

_ New Brunswick: 117 confirmed (including 80 resolved)

_ Prince Edward Island: 26 confirmed (including 23 resolved)

_ Repatriated Canadians: 13 confirmed

_ Yukon: 8 confirmed (including 6 resolved)

_ Northwest Territories: 5 confirmed (including 2 resolved)

_ Nunavut: No confirmed cases

_ Total: 30,106 (11 presumptive, 30,095 confirmed including 1,196 deaths, 9,729 resolved)

Champagne, Ukraine reject Iran crash report suggesting immunity for Tehran

OTTAWA — Canada and Ukraine flatly rejected a report suggesting the Iranian regime was seeking immunity from future legal action after shooting down a passenger jet in January.

The Iranian military shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 on Jan. 8 shortly after it took off from Tehran, killing all 176 people aboard, including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents.

Iran has yet to deliver on its promise to surrender the flight recorders from the downed airliner to the Ukrainian government, a pledge that came during the March 11 meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal.

Earlier this week, a report from Radio Farda said Iran wants Ukraine to sign a memorandum of understanding in which the families of the crash victims would sign away their future rights for legal compensation.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard fired two missiles at the commercial airliner, but Radio Farda says Iran wants Ukraine to accept that "human error" was the cause of the plane's downing.

Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says he has not seen the proposed Iranian memo, and that there is no chance that Canada, Ukraine or any of the other countries that lost citizens would ever agree to waive their rights to hold Iran to account.

"That would not be in line with the discussion we have had so far and the resolve we have shown to stand up for justice for the families," Champagne said Thursday in an interview with The Canadian Press.

"Some entities may want to spread some information that may not be accurate," the minister added.

"I would be a little bit careful at this time that there might be actors that might want to spread rumours, at a time where the grieving families are looking for facts. They are grieving, and they want to be reassured that we are all working in a similar fashion to achieve that."

Radio Farda is a Persian-language broadcaster that is part of the independent Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty network funded by the U.S. Agency for Global Media.

Thursday marked 100 days since the crash, and Ukraine's ambassador to Canada said his country is losing patience with Iran, regardless of the formidable challenges the country has faced in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Andriy Shevchenko, the Ukrainian envoy, said his government may consider other "mechanisms" to force Iran to hand over the black boxes but he declined to say what those might be.

"We are very dissatisfied with the non-progress on this," he said in an interview Thursday. "We've had more than enough time to have some action and some concrete steps on this."

Shevchenko confirmed that his government received a memo from Iran that he called "a working document that does not address all the issues we want to be covered." He said the memo deals with the issue of compensation.

Shevchenko said Thursday's anniversary of the incident was significant.

"It's 100 days today. We have had too much grief, too few answers and too little action."

On Wednesday, the international group comprised of the countries that lost nationals in the crash — Canada, Ukraine, Sweden, Afghanistan and Britain — held a teleconference during which they discussed another avenue of compensation for the grieving families.

Champagne said the group received an update from the lawyer representing Ukraine International Airlines and its insurance company to check on the progress of the statutory compensation that the airline is required to pay to the families of the victims under international civil aviation rules.

"It's a private matter between the families and the airline. But since the beginning I've paid a particular interest," Champagne explained. He said he and his fellow foreign ministers want to do what they can to help the process along.

"We got a status report from the law firm," said Champagne, but he had no timeline on when that process might bring results for grieving families.

Last month, the government appointed former Liberal cabinet minister Ralph Goodale as its special adviser to the Ukraine plane crash investigation. The former Saskatchewan MP held many portfolios, including Public Safety, which oversees the RCMP.

Champagne said Goodale has been talking to the victims' families "for a good part of the week."

Grieving families have previously complained the government became too preoccupied with the pandemic to deal with them.

Trump wants some states to reopen soon but new outbreaks continue in nursing homes and food processing plants

President Donald Trump told governors they can reopen their states soon if they want but health officials across the country are still battling numerous coronavirus outbreaks.

"Our national shutdown is not a sustainable long-term solution," Trump told reporters.

Trump unveiled new guidelines on Thursday to help states loosen social distancing restrictions and restart the economy. The guidelines, which won't be mandatory, suggest a phased approach that will still keep schools closed and allow some restaurants and gyms to operate under social distancing protocols. Each governor will ultimately decide on how and when to open.

We are not opening all at once, but one careful step at a time," Trump said. "And some states will be able to open up sooner than others. Some states are not in the kind of trouble that others are in. 

 While the number of new cases is dropping in some states, health officials have identified new outbreaks. In New Hampshire, clusters were identified at three long-term care facilities, according to Lori Shibinette, health commissioner with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. 

Where All 50 States Stand on Reopening

Meanwhile, more than half of the 143 new cases of Covid-19 in South Dakota were linked to the Smithfield Foods plant, one of the country's largest pork processing facilities, a spokesman with the state's health department said. 

An influential model previously cited by the White House shows that number of new cases has dropped on a national level while "places like New York seem to be stuck at the peak for longer than we originally expected."

Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, told CNN's Anderson Cooper during CNN's coronavirus town hall those hot spots are seeing longer peaks than what Spain and Italy experienced. He noted that Southern states will not be hit as hard as initially estimated.

More than 670,000 people have tested positive in the US with at least 33,101 deaths linked to the virus, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. About 4,811 deaths were reported Wednesday alone.

It's unclear whether the latest death toll includes probable cases. Federal health officials have said they'll start including probable cases, which meet clinical criteria for symptoms and evidence of Covid-19 -- but with no lab test confirming the disease.

Governors extended stay-at-home orders and formed pacts

Several governors extended stay-at-home orders to fight the coronavirus and new partnerships had emerged among them before Trump told them they will call their "own shots."

Seven states -- Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky -- will work together to reopen the Midwest regional economy, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced.

"We will make decisions based on facts, science, and recommendations from experts in health care, business, labor, and education," Whitmer said in a statement.

New York and six other Northeast states extended stay-at-home orders through at least May 15. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has said his city will likely not permit public sporting events and concerts until next year.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards announced the creation of the "Resilient Louisiana" task force, which will work toward the reopening of the state's economy.

Edwards says experts will make recommendations on how to reopen businesses in a way that adequately protects public health.

More testing is needed before reopening, officials say

Before social distancing mandates are relaxed, authorities and experts say that increased coronavirus testing will have to be conducted nationwide to track how much the virus has penetrated communities and enable officials to separate those who are infected.

Following Trump's call with the governors, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper emphasized the need for testing and personal protective equipment, noting the federal government should step in.

"We will continue working with our federal and local partners to beat this virus, protect people's health and recover our economy," Cooper said in a statement.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee called rapid testing the key to determining when emergency restrictions can be lifted. "We need to build the equivalent of a fire brigade," he said. 

Unemployment claims continue rising

Another 5.2 million Americans filed for their first week of unemployment benefits in the period ending April 11, according to new figures by the US Department of Labor.

In total, 22 million people have filed first-time claims since mid-March as the pandemic forces businesses to close and lay off workers.

The Small Business Administration said it had run out money for the Paycheck Protection Program and was unable to accept new applications.

With the $349 billion emergency small business lending program out of funds, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Democrats will reconvene Thursday on a package to increase funding immediately.

Former Vice President Joe Biden called choosing between reopening the economy and ending the pandemic a "false choice."

"Look, I think it's a false choice to say you have to choose between the economy and our health. If you don't fix the health side of it, the economy is never going to get right," he said during CNN's coronavirus townhall on Thursday.

Protesters rally against restrictions in two states

Medical experts have emphasized that the key to fewer coronavirus cases is for people to practice social distancing. As a result, all but seven states are under stay-at-home orders from their governors.

But in at least two states, protesters rallied against the social distancing mandates, calling them a violation of individual freedoms.

In Lansing, Michigan, vehicles jammed several streets around the Capitol in a protest organized by conservative groups against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. 

"It's time for our state to be opened up. We're tired of not being able to buy the things that we need," Brenda Essman of Kalamazoo told CNN affiliate WLNS. "We need to open our businesses."

And in Raleigh, North Carolina, demonstrators gathered outside the state legislative building Tuesday to protest the state's stay-at-home order, CNN affiliate WRAL reported. Police officers told them they were defying social distancing rules by standing too close together, and asked them to disperse. Most left.

Michigan is one of the hardest-hit states with nearly 2,000 deaths reported while North Carolina has had 135. 

Companies report changes in testing

Some commercial lab companies say they've seen some recent decline in demand for coronavirus tests following weeks of increases.

Quest Diagnostics said demand declined in recent days, allowing the company to wipe out the remnants of its coronavirus test backlog. Its average turnaround time is now less than two days.

Another company, Eurofins USA, said its labs have excess testing capacity, in part because many hospitals are now testing in-house. A company spokesperson said another contributing factor is some of its labs have been denied entry into some insurance plan networks.

TAY UP TO DATE AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT

Canada – Federal: Canada.ca/coronavirus
Ontario – Provincial: Ontario.ca/coronavirus
Toronto – City: Toronto.ca/coronavirus

Thank you for doing all you can to flatten and crush the curve!
We are seeing positive signs that our efforts are working, so stay strong.

All My Best
Lalaka
The Founder/CEO at Sahar-TV Network.