The newest Corona virus News from Canada and around the world Monday. This file is updated throughout the day. Links to longer stories, if available.
9:30 am: Local artist The Weeknd donated $ 500,000 to the Scarborough Health Network “to support COVID-19 relief efforts,” a Monday morning press release said.
“I grew up in Scarborough and found it important to give something back to the community that raised me in the hard times of this pandemic,” The Weeknd, real name Abel Tesfaye, said in the press release.
The Grammy award winner, songwriter, and record producer’s donation came through the sale of The Weeknd’s signature ‘XO’ face masks. XO is his record label.
“The donation is an important gift to the health network’s COVID 19 emergency fund, which is now in excess of $ 2.7 million,” the Scarborough Health Network press release said.
According to the Scarborough Health Network, more than 3,500 donors have contributed to the fund so far.
8:50 a.m .: Some of the best prospects for the Blue Jays belong to a group of 58 players who have been invited to a second training camp that will land more and more in Toronto this week.
Team President Mark Shapiro has not yet received government approval to allow the Jays to host the camp. Shapiro said on Friday that he had spoken to “all three levels of government.”
However, two sources said on Sunday evening that players were asked last week to expect Toronto to host both the camp and regular season games. Major League camps can be opened on Wednesday. The 60-game season begins on July 23 or 24.
Mark Zwolinski from the Star has the story.
8:20 am: Data from Sheridan Villa show that seniors isolated from COVID-19 are increasingly depressed and are suffering from falls, unexpected weight loss and pressure sores. Star Moira Welsh has the stories behind the dates and the lasting impact they can have.
6:13 a.m .: The three levels of government must “flip the switch” and quickly create new homes for homeless people in Toronto ahead of an expected second wave of COVID-19, says the executive director of a city health center.
Angela Robertson, executive director of the Parkdale Queen West Community Health Center and co-leader of the COVID-19 homelessness group in the Toronto region, says governments need to move quickly to a short-term homelessness strategy. This strategy should include reinvesting in new affordable housing, converting existing vacant buildings into affordable units, and investing in new homes and support units.
“We have seen what political will and commitment can do in the short term to respond to the challenges that COVID has brought to our communities and the economy,” says Robertson, referring to the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), for example. that provides temporary income to those who lost their jobs during the pandemic.
Read the full story of Star’s Housing reporter Donovan Vincent here.
6 o’clock in the morning: Canadian Blood Services is preparing to begin testing for COVID-19 antibodies in the next few weeks. This contributes to a comprehensive cross-country study to determine how many people have been infected with the disease.
Chantale Pambrun, director of the Canadian Blood Services Center for Innovation, said the organization partnered with the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force in the spring. The task force was set up by the federal government to coordinate efforts to understand immunity and includes researchers from across the country.
The blood banks have kept samples of people who have donated in the past few months that they can quickly test to inform the task force, writes May Warren from the star.
5:15 a.m .: South Korean professional sports fans may have to wear masks and will be prevented from screaming or eating if they may return to the stands in the coming weeks.
Jung Eun-kyeong, director of the South Korean Disease Control and Prevention Center, said such measures would be discussed while health officials and the Ministry of Sports are preparing plans for viewers to return to the sport. The plans could be announced this week.
Jeong said it was crucial for the leagues to enforce the distance between fans. The participation restrictions could be relaxed as the country’s anti-virus efforts continue. South Korea’s professional baseball and soccer leagues returned in May without spectators.
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Discussions about the return of fans are happening despite the virus’s reappearance in the Seoul region. South Korea reported 42 new infections on Monday, and authorities are considering increasing social restrictions if the epidemic continues to grow.
5:05 a.m .: The European Union is preparing a list of 15 countries whose nationals can visit the block from Wednesday, Spanish Foreign Minister Aranch Gonzalez Laya told Cadena SER radio.
The resurgence of cases in the US means that Americans may not be on this list. Gonzalez Laya said countries are selected based on their coronavirus status and the reliability of their data, she said.
“This is not an exercise to be nice or unfriendly to other countries, it is an exercise of personal responsibility,” she said. She confirmed that despite increasing infections, Spain would reopen its borders with Portugal.
4:58 am: India has posted a new daily record of nearly 20,000 new infections as several Indian states have reintroduced partial or full barriers to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The Indian Ministry of Health recorded a total of 548,318 COVID-19 cases on Monday, an increase of nearly 100,000 cases per week in the fourth-worst affected country in the world after the United States, Brazil and Russia. India’s death toll has reached 16,475, while 321,723 patients have recovered from the disease.
The capital district of the northeastern state of Assam on the border with Bangladesh has reintroduced a complete blockage until July 12, after an increase in cases. Another bordering state, West Bengal, has extended its hold until July 31.
4 am: Health officials use a saliva test to work against a coronavirus outbreak in Australia’s second largest city. The test appears to be less accurate than the nose swab, but is a more convenient option.
Brett Sutton, Victoria’s chief health officer, said the situation in Melbourne was “now a real challenge,” also because the better situation elsewhere in Australia made it harder to tell people to stay vigilant.
Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said Monday that 75 people had tested positive in the state in the past 24 hours. She said the saliva test was first performed in a Melbourne suburb on Sunday. Research saliva tests were only 87 percent as accurate as the nasal swab because the saliva contained fewer viruses than the throat, said Sharon Lewin, director of the Doherty Institute in Melbourne, who developed the saliva test used.
Sunday 10:30 p.m. The number of active COVID-19 cases in a high-rise building in Calgary has prompted provincial officials to change the region’s regional classification from “open” to “guard” over the weekend.
According to Alberta Health, more than 60,000 people live at the Calgary Center and there are 34 active cases – all of which, according to spokeswoman Karin Campbell, are associated with Verve Condominiums. According to Alberta Health’s website, a watch is issued when there are at least 10 active cases in a region and there are more than 50 active cases per 100,000 people, and the Calgary Center is said to be just above that at 51.4 cases.
During a guard, the province is said to “monitor the risk and discuss with local governments and other community leaders about the need for additional health measures.” The next stage will be improved, with “risk levels requiring more public health action to control the spread”.
Campbell says there have been 45 cases related to the apartment’s building and 11 of them have recovered.
Alberta reported 39 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, but no new deaths. There are 216 active cases in the Calgary Zone.
Click here to learn more about Sunday reporting.
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