KEY FACTS 2:15 p.m.: De Villa warns outbreak in Toronto could be worse than April
2 p.m.: COVID-19 cases increased 40% in Canada over past 7 days
1:27 p.m.: Italy imposes nationwide outdoor mask mandate
The latest coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Wednesday. This file is no longer updating. Click here to read the latest coverage. Web links to longer stories if available.
10:35 p.m. South Korea has 69 new confirmed coronavirus cases, most of them in the Seoul region area where health workers are struggling to track transmissions tied to hospitals, churches, schools and an army unit.
The figures released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Thursday brought the national total to 24,422 cases, including 427 deaths.
Forty-nine of the new cases were reported from the Seoul metropolitan area, home to about half of the country’s 51 million people. The region has been at the centre of a coronavirus resurgence since mid-August.
10:25 p.m. Anger and resentment flared Wednesday in New York City neighbourhoods facing new coronavirus shutdowns, with some residents saying the state is unfairly targeting Orthodox Jewish communities as it tries to stamp out hot spots before they spread.
Protests erupted in Brooklyn’s Borough Park neighbourhood Tuesday night after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced new restrictions on schools, businesses and houses of worship in some parts of the city and state. And frustration and grievances kept simmering the next day and into Wednesday night.
“I understand you need to wear a mask. I understand you social distance. What bothers me is: You pick on the good people,” said Brooklyn resident Meir Nimni.
He argued that Orthodox Jewish gatherings were being singled out for a clampdown, noting that huge crowds convened this spring for racial injustice protests where destruction and violence sometimes broke out.
“Everybody here wants to live, and everybody cares” about stopping the virus, Nimni said. But he saw a double standard that’s “just not fair.”
Nearby, Renee Jeremias said authorities “have absolutely no right to shut us down.”
Read more here: ‘Just not fair’: Communities bristle at new NYC shutdowns
7:45 p.m. The Saskatchewan Health Authority says it is investigating a community transmitted COVID-19 outbreak that involves contact tracing of more than 100 people across different parts of the province.
The agency says the outbreak is linked to a series of Full Gospel Outreach events in Prince Albert from Sept. 14 to last Sunday.
Medical health officer Dr. Khami Chokani declared the outbreak Wednesday.
Doug Dahl, a health authority spokesman, said six people who attended the events have tested positive for COVID-19 and more positive test results are expected.
He said people from several communities have been identified as close contacts to the positive cases, including some First Nations.
“We have confirmed that six individuals who attended the Full Gospel Outreach events have tested positive since we became aware of the first case on Sunday, which was then connected to the Full Gospel Outreach events,” Dahl wrote in an email.
“Additional contact tracing is underway and that number is expected to increase.”
The authority did not identify the affected communities.
Health officials say that due to the number of positive cases that have been traced to these events, people who attended should self-isolate immediately until they can be assessed by their local public health unit.
Meanwhile, the province reported 10 new cases of COVID-19, bringing its total to 1,994.
The new cases are located in the Saskatoon, Central West, Central East, Regina and South East zones.
5:38 p.m. The rising number of patients being treated for COVID-19 risks forcing hospitals to cancel major surgeries, Quebec Premier Francois Legault said Wednesday.
Hospitalizations tied to the novel coronavirus have doubled in Quebec over the past two weeks, Legault told reporters, adding that the pressure on the “already fragile” health-care system could lead to difficult decisions.
If cases continue to double every week, he said, there’s a risk the province’s health-care system won’t be able to treat everyone who needs to see a doctor and that major surgeries could be postponed.
“My objective isn’t to be popular; my objective is to save the health-care system,” Legault said, adding that Quebecers should stay home unless they are going to work or school.
Authorities reported 900 new infections Wednesday and one death they said occurred in the past 24 hours. The province said six earlier deaths have been attributed to the novel coronavirus, bringing the total to 5,906 since the pandemic began.
Hospitalizations increased by 12 to 409, with 62 patients in intensive care, a decrease of five.
Public health officials in Montreal said Wednesday there are 130 COVID-19 outbreaks in the city. Of those, 42 occurred in schools, 50 in workplaces and 12 occurred in private senior care centres — including in one that is tied to 25 infections.
While the second wave has largely affected younger people, Montreal’s public health director, Mylene Drouin, told reporters Wednesday she’s concerned by the rise in cases among the elderly.
Legault said that while some large cities in the United States have comparable death rates to Montreal, others, such as Boston and New York City, have higher rates. Toronto, however, stands out from the other large cities on the continent, with significantly fewer deaths, he said.
While Quebec has shut bars and restaurant dining rooms, Ontario, which has fewer restrictions, continues to report fewer infections than Quebec.
Public health director Dr. Horacio Arruda said there are a number of different factors that could be having an effect. Polling for instance, suggests Quebecers may have been less compliant with instructions from public health officials, he said.
It’s a question experts have been unable to answer.
Kate Zinszer, a professor at Universite de Montreal’s school of public health said, “There’s so many possibilities, it could be due to the different measures that are in place.”
Compliance with those measures, she said in an interview Wednesday, could be a factor, as could the consistency of messaging from public health authorities. Adding to the difficulty, she said, is that the data needed to make comparisons isn’t available.
Health Minster Christian Dube told reporters Wednesday that Quebec has improved some elements of its COVID-19 response, including its testing program, adding that there’s still room for improvement when it comes to contact tracing.
If people continue to not pick up the phone when called by a contact tracer, they risk spreading the virus without it knowing it, he said.
Earlier Wednesday, the government said it will allow up to two people at a time to visit dying relatives in long-term care homes and will not limit the number of visits a patient can receive. Visits to long-term care centres were prohibited during the first wave of the pandemic last spring.
Meanwhile, eighteen players and staff of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team based in the Montreal area, have tested positive for COVID-19.
League commissioner Gilles Courteau said in a news release, “Although our sanitary and medical protocol is very strict and rigorous, we knew that COVID-19 was highly infectious and could eventually hit certain players and team staff members.”
The team, along with the Sherbrooke Phoenix, who played two games against the Armada over the weekend, suspended operations Monday after an Armada player tested positive.
That positive result came just hours after the QMJHL condemned the Quebec government’s decision to ban team sports in parts of the province under the maximum pandemic alert level, which include the Montreal area.
5:20 p.m. The Saskatchewan Health Authority says it is investigating a community-transmitted COVID-19 outbreak that involves contact tracing more than 100 people across different parts of the province.
The agency says the outbreak appears to be linked to a series of Full Gospel Outreach events in Prince Albert from Sept. 14 to last Sunday.
Dr. Khami Chokani, medical health officer, declared the outbreak on Wednesday.
The agency says the outbreak involves numerous people with close contacts from multiple areas across Saskatchewan. The exact number of positive COVID-19 cases linked to the outbreak was not released.
3:40 p.m.: Toronto plans to make an additional 560 beds available to the homeless this winter but advocates warn the spots won’t be enough for the growing number of people living in encampments across the city since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The increase in beds — 100 of which will be at an exhibition centre, with plastic barriers to prevent the spread of the virus — is part of the city’s winter plan for the homeless outlined earlier this week, Liam Casey of The Canadian Press reports.
Mary-Anne Bedard, general manager of Toronto’s shelter, support and housing administration, said the city believes it will have enough beds to house those who want to get inside during the cold months.
There will be 240 hotel rooms among the new spaces, along with 220 spots in shelters that will become available when the same number of people move into new homes, including two new modular housing projects, Bedard said.
“This year, more than ever, we wanted to make sure we were offering a range of different types of services so we can hit as many people we could with a service that they would be comfortable in accepting,” she said.
But Greg Cook, an outreach worker with Sanctuary Ministries Toronto, said the city’s plan falls short.
“It’s a really inadequate response,” he said.
“There are encampments everywhere and they’re growing — we think over 1,000 people are outside and this only has space for 560.”
3:15 p.m.: The prime minister is making clear that any COVID-19 vaccines approved by Health Canada will be free for all Canadians through the country’s universal health-care system.
Justin Trudeau made the statement in the House of Commons after being questioned by NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who said Canadians are worried about whether they will have free and timely access to a vaccine against the novel coronavirus once one becomes available.
But it remains unclear exactly who would receive the vaccines first or how they would be distributed.
The government has indicated the plan is to ensure the most vulnerable and essential workers have ready access.
Trudeau told the Commons on Wednesday a committee of experts will counsel the government on how to fairly distribute vaccines to everyone.
3:15 p.m.: Manitoba is marking the deadliest day since the beginning of the pandemic with three additional deaths due to COVID-19.
One of the deaths is linked to an outbreak at a care home — a woman in her 90s.
The others are a man in his 70s from Winnipeg and a man in his 60s from a communal living community.
The new deaths bring the province’s fatality total to 27.
The province also announced 32 new cases of the virus — with 22 of those in the Winnipeg health region.
There has been a surge of cases in the capital city over recent weeks, which prompted health officials to mandate masks for indoor public places and introduce restrictions on restaurants and bars.
2:45 p.m.: Public health officials in New Brunswick are reporting 17 new cases of COVID-19 at a special-care home in Moncton.
Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health, says that brings the number of cases at Notre-Dame Manor to 19.
She says that number includes 13 residents, four health-care workers and two family members of an affected resident.
The first two cases tested positive after public health started an investigation into the facility Monday night.
2:15 p.m.: Toronto medical officer of health Dr. Eileen de Villa reports 187 new infections in the city.
With the current 1.2 reproductive level of transmission, disease activity in the fall would exceed April peak for Toronto, de Villa says.
Heading into November, it could get much worse, peak in early March to early May 2021.
Spend Thanksgiving only with people who live under the same roof, she advises. If you live alone, connect with others virtually.
“Yes, the situation is that serious,” de Villa says, adding that nobody should be in a crowded room with people they don’t live with.
“It just isn’t worth it.”
2 p.m.: The number of daily COVID-19 cases reported in Canada increased 40 per cent in the last week compared to the previous one, chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Wednesday.
Canada’s average daily count of new COVID-19 cases hit 2,052 over the last seven days, nearly 10 times the low it reached last July, Tam said in a statement.
The vast majority of new cases across Canada have been reported in Quebec and Ontario, which together account for some 80 per cent of the country’s COVID-19 infections.
There were some positive signs, however, in the data reported Wednesday by both provinces, although a continued rise in hospitalizations remained a concern.
New cases in Quebec dropped to 900 after authorities reported more than 1,000 new daily infections for five consecutive days.
New cases in Ontario rose from 548 Tuesday to 583 Wednesday, but a large number of recoveries meant that active cases dropped by more than 100. The province also reported one new death, compared to seven on Tuesday.
Hospitalizations continued to rise in both provinces, with an increase of 12 in Quebec and three in Ontario.
Quebec reported seven additional deaths, including one that occurred in the past 24 hours.
1:47 p.m.: Wisconsin health officials announced Wednesday that they’ve opened a field hospital at the state fairgrounds near Milwaukee as a surge in COVID-19 cases threatens to overwhelm hospitals.
Wisconsin has become a hot spot for the disease over the last month, ranking third nationwide this week in daily new cases per capita. Health experts have attributed the spike to the reopening of colleges and K-12 schools as well as general fatigue over wearing masks and socially distancing.
“We hoped this day wouldn’t come, but unfortunately, Wisconsin is in a much different, more dire place today and our health care systems are beginning to become overwhelmed by the surge of COVID-19 cases,” said Gov. Tony Evers. “This alternative care facility will take some of the pressure off our health care facilities while expanding the continuum of care for folks who have COVID-19.”
The move also came as a state judge was considering a lawsuit seeking to strike down Democratic Evers’ mandate that masks be worn in enclosed public spaces.
1:45 p.m.: Stocks are recovering on Wall Street Wednesday after President Donald Trump appeared to backtrack on his decision to halt talks on another rescue effort for the economy.
The S&P 500 was 1.4 per cent higher in afternoon trading after Trump sent a series of tweets late Tuesday saying he’s open to sending out $1,200 payments to Americans, as well as limited programs to prop up the airline industry and small businesses.
The tweets came just hours after Trump sent the market into a sudden tailspin with his declaration that his representatives should halt talks with Democrats on a stimulus effort for the economy until after the election, saying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had been negotiating in bad faith. The stakes are high, as economists, investors and the chair of the Federal Reserve all say the economy needs another dose of support following the expiration of weekly jobless benefits and other stimulus Congress approved earlier this year.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 414 points, or 1.5 per cent, at 28,187, as of 1:17 p.m. Eastern time.
1:40 p.m. U.S. President Donald Trump’s physician says the president had been symptom-free for 24 hours and his vital signs have remained stable and in normal range.
Dr. Scott Conley, in a memo, also wrote that Trump, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 five days ago, told him “I feel great!”
Conley didn’t detail which medications the president was taking. He says the president has not required any supplemental oxygen since returning to the White House late Monday.
The president had also been fever-free for four days.
1:29 p.m. Tennessee will not be returning to the team’s facility Wednesday after two more players tested positive amid the NFL’s first COVID-19 outbreak, and the New England Patriots have cancelled practice amid reports that a third player has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Sports Illustrated reported that reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore tested positive for the virus on Wednesday and was added to the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list. The Patriots did not give a reason for Wednesday’s cancellation and did not immediately respond when asked if it was related to a third positive test.
Quarterback Cam Newton tested positive Saturday and is on the reserve/COVID-19 list, and the Patriots placed a defensive tackle from the practice squad on that list Tuesday. The Patriots are scheduled to host Denver on Sunday.
“WEAR YOUR MASK. KEEP YOUR DISTANCE,” Newton posted on Twitter Wednesday along with a photo of himself wearing a mask.
1:27 p.m. Italy imposed a nationwide outdoor mask mandate Wednesday as the European country where COVID-19 first hit hard scrambles to keep rebounding infections from spiralling out of control.
The government passed a decree even though Italy’s overall per capita infection rate is currently among the lowest in Europe. But Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte warned that a steady, nine-week rise in infections nationwide demanded new preventive measures to stave off closures and shutdowns that would prove devastating for the economy.
“We have to be more rigorous because we want to avoid at all cost more restrictive measures for productive and social activities,” Conte said.
The decree was passed on the same day that Italy added 3,678 new infections and 31 victims to its official coronavirus toll, the highest increase in new cases since the peak of the outbreak in April. Both hard-hit Lombardy and southern Campania added more than 500 cases each.
Italy now has over 36,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths, the second-highest number in Europe after Britain.
1:13 p.m. A New York City neighbourhood erupted in protests after Gov. Andrew Cuomo moved to shut down schools and businesses and restrict capacity at houses of worship in areas where coronavirus cases are spiking.
Many areas that stand to be affected are home to large enclaves of Orthodox Jews, and community leaders have complained they are being unfairly singled out, though the Democratic governor insists the clampdown is based solely on coronavirus case clusters and science.
The criticism sharpened Tuesday night, when videos posted on social media showed hundreds of Orthodox Jewish men gathered in the streets of Borough Park, a neighbourhood in Brooklyn, in some cases setting bonfires by burning masks. Video posted on social media shows a crowd swarming and knocking down a man holding a camera. Police said there were no arrests.
Cuomo said Wednesday he realized that closures upset people, but he said they were necessary and would be enforced.
“There’s always opposition. And we move forward anyways. And we’ll continue to do that,” he said on a conference call with reporters.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city is “dealing with a health emergency” and told New Yorkers to act accordingly.
1:12 p.m.: Scotland has lost three players, including Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney, from its squad for a European Championship playoff on Thursday after UEFA-mandated COVID-19 tests.
The Scottish soccer federation said Wednesday that midfielder Stuart Armstrong tested positive, and Tierney plus Ryan Christie were classed as “close contacts” and must self-isolate.
All three players are unavailable to face Israel in a Euro 2020 playoff in Glasgow on Thursday.
“I’m so disappointed and frustrated to be in this situation,” Tierney said in a statement published by Arsenal. “I have adhered to all regulations and made sure I was socially distancing from my teammates in the hotel.”
The winner at Hampden Park will advance to play away against Norway or Serbia on Nov. 12 with a place at Euro 2020 at stake. Scotland is one of the 12 host nations and would have two home games in the group stage if it qualifies.
12:57 p.m. Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says the country’s average daily count of new COVID-19 cases hit 2,052 over the last seven days.
That’s up 40 per cent over the previous week and is nearly 10 times the low it reached last July.
Tam says the Public Health Agency of Canada is seeing an upward trend in the number of COVID-19 patients being hospitalized, as well.
In a statement, Tam says the increasing number and variety of COVID-19 tests available in Canada is a good step, but she says testing cannot replace basic health measures like physical distancing and wearing face masks.
12:55 p.m. Quebec is reporting fewer than 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 for the first time in six days.
Authorities reported 900 new COVID-19 infections today and one death attributed to the novel coronavirus that they said occurred in the past 24 hours.
The province says another four deaths linked to the virus occurred between Sept. 30 and Oct. 5, and says two other deaths occurred at an unknown date, bringing the total to 5,906 since the pandemic began.
Hospitalizations increased by 12 to 409, with 62 people in intensive care, a decrease of five.
11:12 a.m.: The number of new COVID-19 school-related cases in public schools across Ontario jumped by 111 for a total of 722 cases — with 541 reported within the last 14 days, the province reported Wednesday morning.
In its latest data, the province reported a 23.6 per cent jump in school-related cases from the previous day, with most of the new cases among students.
The Star’s Kevin Jiang has the story
10:43 a.m. The CBC competition series “Battle of the Blades” has been temporarily iced due to someone on the show’s production team testing positive for COVID-19.
In an email Wednesday, the broadcaster said Insight Productions has temporarily halted all training and pre-production on the new season “to ensure the health and safety of the entire cast and crew. CBC fully supports this decision.”
That means the sixth season of the series in which hockey players and figure skaters pair up to skate for charitable donations will no longer begin with a live premiere on Oct. 15.
CBC said it would provide more details on scheduling as soon as possible.
10:19 a.m. (will be updated) Ontario saw an increase of almost 7 per cent in COVID-19 cases while Toronto’s number of infections dropped slightly and Ottawa’s doubled.
Another 583 residents of the province tested positive for the virus and there was one new death, the Ministry of Health reported Wednesday.
“The numbers are increasing,” Health Minister Christine Elliott acknowledged in the legislature’s question period. “We’re looking at the information daily.”
Premier Doug Ford has argued against a push from Toronto Public Health and others to impose new restrictions at this point to slow the spread of COVID-19, saying more evidence is needed to justify any moves that could harm the economy and the livelihoods of business owners, such as banning indoor dining and drinking at bars and restaurants.
Instead, Ford said inspectors will focus on “bad actors” breaking the maximum limit of six patrons per table, for example.
The backlog of tests awaiting lab processing fell by just 70 to 55,413 as assessment centres came back into full operations on an appointment-only basis Tuesday, two days after walk-in testing was halted to allow labs to catch up. Labs processed 43,277 tests Tuesday, the most since setting a record of more than 46,000 on Oct. 3.
9:27 a.m. Sri Lankan authorities have banned all public gatherings as a new cluster of COVID-19 expands in the Indian Ocean island nation.
Health authorities said Wednesday the outbreak centred at a garment factory has risen to 1,022 confirmed infections while 1,500 people have been asked to quarantine at their homes.
The Health Ministry ordered the public not to conduct public gatherings such as exhibitions, parties, conferences, indoor or outdoor events, carnivals, musical shows and processions.
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The majority of the infected people are co-workers at a garment factory. The government has also widened a curfew in two suburbs of Colombo where many of the patients live. It earlier closed schools and universities and imposed restrictions on public transport.
The country has reported 4,252 patients with 13 deaths.
9:21 a.m. Shares in major U.S. airlines were poised for gains Wednesday after President Donald Trump tweeted his support for relief package for the struggling industry and prodded Congress to take action.
“The House & Senate should IMMEDIATELY Approve 25 Billion Dollars for Airline Payroll Support,” Trump tweeted late Tuesday night. “I will sign now!”
That followed the president’s tweets earlier Tuesday saying he told his representatives to end negotiations on a relief package until after the election next month.
Airline stocks rose anywhere from 1 per cent to 5 per cent in premarket trading Wednesday.
The airline industry has been one of the hardest-hit sectors of the economy since the virus pandemic took hold this spring, with the largest four U.S. carriers losing more than $10 billion (U.S.) between them.
9:18 a.m. New England Patriots star cornerback Stephon Gilmore has tested positive for COVID-19 according to the NFL Network.
The Patriots played the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 5 in a game that was pushed from the previous day due to Patriots quarterback Cam Newton testing positive for the virus.
Despite Newton testing positive, the National Football League opted to play the game rather than postponing it for later in the season, a move that drew criticism for potentially exposing more players to infection.
With just one bye week built into the schedule for each team, the NFL season is highly susceptible to disruption from any outbreaks. If multiple games were to be cancelled, the league would be forced to consider determining playoff eligibility with teams having played an unequal number of games or might push back the Super Bowl, which is scheduled for Feb. 7 in Tampa, Florida.
Also on Wednesday, the NFL Network reported that the Tennessee Titans’ plan to reopen their facility was put on hold after two players tested positive for the virus. The Titans were slated to face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 4, but that game was delayed to Oct. 25, becoming the first NFL game to be affected by the virus.
In response to the uptick in positive tests, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell warned the league’s 32 teams on Monday that they would face penalties if they were found to be in violation of COVID-19 safety protocols.
“Protocol violations that result in virus spread requiring adjustments to the schedule or otherwise impacting other teams will result in additional financial and competitive discipline, including the adjustment or loss of draft choices or even the forfeit of a game,” Goodell wrote in a memo obtained by the Associated Press.
9:09 a.m. A new study says many Canadian entrepreneurs are focused on shoring up their balance sheets after recording a drastic drop in revenues and mounting debt during the first wave of COVID-19.
The Business Development Bank of Canada survey says the top priority of business owners is getting their financial houses in order, including reducing operating costs and improving cash flow.
Investing in technology was also a priority for entrepreneurs, according to the study which also listed a focus on remote work, online sales and reviving growth as other key areas.
The study found that small- and medium-sized businesses were hit hard by the crisis, with 76 per cent reporting a decline in revenues and profits during the pandemic.
Nearly half ending up laying off staff, while about 39 per cent of entrepreneurs took on more debt to survive, the BDC said.
Still, the BDC study said 87 per cent of entrepreneurs are confident they will make it through the crisis.
Pierre Cleroux, BDC’s vice-president of research and chief economist, says his “biggest worry” is the high debt levels of many businesses.
“If there’s a second wave and we have to go into lockdowns, the good news is businesses are more prepared,” he said in an interview. “They’ve worked hard to be more efficient, reduce costs and be more present online.
“The bad news is they are more in debt than they were six months ago, so they are more fragile.”
8:49 a.m. Vice-President Mike Pence and his Democratic challenger, California Sen. Kamala Harris, are poised to meet for a debate that will offer starkly different visions for a country confronting escalating crises.
The faceoff Wednesday night in Salt Lake City is the most highly anticipated vice-presidential debate in recent memory. It will unfold while President Donald Trump recovers at the White House after testing positive last week for the coronavirus and spending several days in the hospital, a serious setback for his campaign that adds pressure on Pence to defend the administration’s handling of the pandemic.
For Harris, the debate is her highest-profile opportunity to vocalize how the Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, would stabilize the U.S., especially when it comes to resolving the pandemic and addressing racial injustice. She will be able to explain her views on law enforcement, an area in which she’s viewed warily by some progressives, given her past as a prosecutor.
Ultimately, the debate is a chance for voters to decide whether Pence and Harris are in a position to step into the presidency at a moment’s notice. It’s hardly a theoretical question as the 74-year-old Trump combats the virus, and Biden, at 77, would become the oldest person to become president if he’s elected.
While the debate will likely cover a range of topics, the virus will be at the forefront.
8:46 a.m. Toronto resident Miguel Ceron wanted to get a COVID-19 test when the restaurant his partner works at was shut down by public health for having confirmed cases of the virus.
Ceron, 33, is among scores of Ontario residents who took to social media or contacted the Star Tuesday to voice their frustrations about trying to book a COVID-19 test on the province’s new appointment-based system.
“I just got off being on hold for half an hour and ultimately disconnected from a pharmacy trying to get information on appointments,” said Ceron, who like others had difficulty getting through by phone because of high call volumes.
By early Tuesday evening, Ceron, who works in the insurance industry, was still unsuccessful in booking a test.
Read the full story by the Star’s Irelyne Lavery
8:38 a.m. Just weeks into a school term already marked by disruption, the Toronto District School Board is about to usher in some more.
In a letter sent to families Tuesday evening, the TDSB announced that up to 324 elementary schools will lose some in-person teachers as they will be moved into virtual classrooms.
The board said it announced the reorganization to help support the “significant number of students” — more than 66,000 — who are currently enrolled in online school.
Out of the 324 schools, some will lose up to four or more teachers, while others will lose one or two.
As a result of the loss of teachers, some students attending in-person classes may have to move into different and/or larger classrooms with different teachers, just three weeks after starting school.
Read the full story from the Star’s Breanna Xavier-Carter
8 a.m. Swiss pharmaceutical firm Roche said Wednesday that problems at a U.K. warehouse are delaying shipments of testing products to clinics and hospitals, triggering concerns that COVID-19 testing may be disrupted as infection rates rise around Britain.
Roche informed doctors about the problem at its U.K. distribution centre in Sussex, southern England, in a letter that advised customers to “prioritize essential services only.”
Roche said the problem arose after it moved to a new automatic warehouse in September.
The company said that it was “prioritizing the dispatch of COVID-19 PCR and antibody tests and doing everything we can to ensure there is no impact on the supply of these” to the National Health Service.
The glitch affects materials needed to conduct blood tests and screening for diseases including diabetes and cancer. Roche said it could take two weeks to fix the problem.
British doctors have already raised concerns about the number of procedures, tests and screening programs that were put on hold as the health service focused on battling COVID-19 earlier this year.
While normal service has begun to resume, there is still a backlog, and long waiting lists for non-emergency operations.
Britain, which already has the highest virus death toll in Europe at over 42,500, is now facing a second surge in coronavirus cases. A total of 2,883 coronavirus patients were in U.K. hospitals on Tuesday, up from 2,291 a week earlier. A further 76 deaths of people with COVID-19 were recorded Tuesday, compared to 41 a week earlier.
Both figures are well below the peaks seen at the height of the U.K. outbreak in the spring.
Scotland is set to announce tightened social restrictions Wednesday in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus, and the British government is considering whether to follow suit.
7:26 a.m. Iranian state TV said the country has hit its highest number of daily deaths from the coronavirus, with 239 new fatalities reported on Wednesday.
The report quoted the spokesperson of the country’s Health Ministry, Sima Sadat Lari, as saying that the 239 died since Tuesday. Iran has in the past had 235 daily deaths.
The latest death toll brought the total number of fatalities to 27,658. The ministry spokesperson said health care professionals recorded 4,019 new confirmed cases since Tuesday, brining the total number of confirmed cases in Iran to 483,844.
7:17 a.m. World shares were mostly lower on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a stop to talks on another round of aid for the economy.
U.S. futures were up slightly after dropping on Trump’s announcement the day before. Markets were down slightly in Germany, France and Japan but closed higher in Hong Kong.
Hours after his tweets about ending the stimulus talks, Trump appeared to edge back a bit, calling on Congress to send him a “Stand Alone Bill for Stimulus Checks ($1,200)”
Trump’s announcement via Twitter that he was suspending the talks until after the election came after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell urged Congress to come through with more aid, saying that too little support “would lead to a weak recovery, creating unnecessary hardship.”
Some analysts characterized Trump’s move as likely a negotiating ploy.
“I do not believe hopes of a stimulus deal are now gone forever,” said Jeffrey Halley of trading and research firm Oanda. “One of Mr. Trump’s favourite negotiating tactics, judging by past actions, is to walk away from the negotiating table abruptly. The intention being to frighten the other side into concessions.”
6:45 a.m.: Takeout booze is here to stay, the Star has learned.
Queen’s Park is making permanent a key temporary pandemic measure and allowing restaurants and bars to sell beer, wine and spirits to go.
The sweeping liberalization, designed to help struggling businesses, means nearly every licensed facility in Ontario could be able to sell booze for consumption at home.
Associate Minister of Small Business Prabmeet Sarkaria will introduce the Main Street Recovery Act on Wednesday to legislate changes to reduce red tape and ensure the coronavirus-ravaged restaurants, bars and shops can stay afloat.
“Our government is standing with Main Street businesses and we remain committed to their recovery and renewed success,” said Sarkaria.
“We are determined to support them through this pandemic and beyond.”
Read the exclusive story from the Star’s Robert Benzie here.
5:29 a.m.: Coronavirus infections in the Czech Republic have hit a record high, surpassing 4,000 cases in one day for the first time.
The Health Ministry said 4,457 people tested positive on Tuesday, almost 700 more than the previous record on Friday.
Most infected still have no or mild symptoms but the recent steep day-to-day increase is followed by an increase of people hospitalized and those who have died.
Of the total of 90,022 cases in the Czech Republic, 1,387 needed hospital treatment on Monday, according to government figures, with 326 in serious condition. That was up from 825 hospitalized at the beginning of last week with 187 in intensive care. Of the 794 people who have died of COVID-19 in the country, 169 were since Sept 28.
5:21 a.m.: South Korea has reported 114 new cases of the coronavirus, its first daily jump of over 100 in a week. Health officials had raised concerns that infections would rise because of increased travel during the Chuseok harvest holiday that ended Sunday. Ninety-two of the cases reported Wednesday by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency were from the Seoul metropolitan area, where the virus has been resurgent since mid-August.
5:19 a.m.: New Zealand has again eliminated COVID-19 in the community as life is about to return normal in its largest city, Auckland. From midnight Wednesday, limits on public gatherings and activities will be lifted, though social distancing is advised.
The Ministry of Health said the last six active cases associated with a minor outbreak in Auckland have recovered, an announcement that Health Minister Chris Hipkins described as a big milestone. “New Zealanders have once again through their collective actions squashed the virus,” Hipkins said. New Zealand went 102 days without a case of community transmission before the Auckland outbreak, which concluded with 186 cases between Aug. 11 and Sept. 25.
5:11 a.m.: India has registered more than 72,000 new coronavirus cases, driving the country’s total to 6.75 million. The Health Ministry also reported 986 deaths, taking the toll past 104,500.
Nearly 10 states account for 77 per cent of the total active cases in the country. India’s recovery rate stands at more than 84%. The government has cited that figure as a reason for further opening the economy by allowing movie theatres to partially reopen next week with 50% capacity. The Health Ministry also issued guidelines for large gatherings during upcoming religious festivals and barred people from touching idols and holy books at such events to prevent the spread of the virus.
5:08 a.m.: Israeli police clashed with hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews overnight as they sought to enforce restrictions on public gatherings during a nationwide coronavirus lockdown, the police said Wednesday.
Footage released by police showed huge crowds of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem chanting and hurling stones and metal bars at police officers. The police said 17 people were arrested.
Clashes also erupted in Modiin Ilit, an ultra-Orthodox settlement in the West Bank. Police said they ordered people to leave a synagogue before being attacked with stones and fireworks, Four police officers were wounded and seven people were arrested, police said.
Segments of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community have defied restrictions on religious gatherings intended to contain the country’s coronavirus outbreak, even as the insular community has seen its own cases soar.
5:03 a.m.: Authorities in Sri Lanka on Wednesday widened a curfew and warned of legal action against those evading treatment for COVID-19 after reporting a growing cluster centred around a garment factory in the capital’s suburbs.
The number of confirmed cases has risen to 830 while more than 1,500 people have been asked to quarantine at their homes, health authorities said.
The Indian Ocean island nation had just reported its first community infection in two months on Sunday. The majority of the infected people are co-workers of the first patient, who is from densely populated Western province, which includes the capital, Colombo.
Hundreds of people — both factory workers and residents — waited in lines Tuesday at makeshift medical centres to be tested for the coronavirus in the small town of Minuwangoda, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Colombo, where the factory is located.
5 a.m.: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife may have violated the country’s coronavirus lockdown by inviting a hairdresser into the official residence last week to prepare her for a public service video advocating the wearing of masks.
The Yediot Ahronot newspaper reported that Sara Netanyahu had a hairdresser visit on the eve of the festive Sukkot holiday. Hair salons and barber shops are closed as part of a nationwide lockdown imposed last month, and people have been ordered to remain within 1,000 metres (yards) of home except for essential activities.
Wednesday 4 a.m.: The pandemic may serve as an opportunity for the restaurant industry to innovate in order to avoid closures as public health measures limit the sale of booze and erode already thin profit margins, say addiction and business experts.
Dr. Rupi Brar said the industry has a chance to pivot in ways that satisfy consumer demand while considering its heavy dependence on high markups on alcohol as well as the negative consequences associated with it.
“We know that the production and marketing and distribution of alcohol does create employment and generate income, but the question is, at what cost?” said Brar, an addiction medicine specialist and consultant in substance use disorders at St. Paul’s and Surrey Memorial hospitals in Metro Vancouver.
She said harms related to alcohol use amount to about $14 billion a year, including for health care.
Restaurants and bars have fought the restriction of a 10 p.m. stop on alcohol sales in British Columbia and similar limits elsewhere in the country, but many have come up with new ways to make money and keep much of their staff employed.
Tuesday 10:12 p.m. Just weeks into a school term already marked by disruption, the Toronto District School Board is about to usher in some more.
In a letter sent to families Tuesday evening, the TDSB announced that up to 324 elementary schools will lose some in-person teachers as they will be moved into virtual classrooms.
The board said it announced the reorganization to help support the “significant number of students” — more than 66,000 — who are currently enrolled in online school.
Out of the 324 schools, some will lose up to four or more teachers, while others will lose one or two.
As a result of the loss of teachers, some students attending in-person classes may have to move into different and/or larger classrooms with different teachers, just three weeks after starting school.
For example, two smaller classes may be combined to create one larger class, the letter from the TDSB stated. However, the board was clear in assuring that classroom sizes will remain within public health measures.
Since school began, there has been a number of shortages for teachers in virtual classrooms. In the letter, the board acknowledged the lack of resources, saying, “The reorganization of schools and classes will increase the availability of permanent TDSB teachers for the Virtual School and enhance stability.”
The board said it anticipates all students to have an assigned teacher once the reorganization is complete by Oct 13.
Read more here: Hundreds of teachers to be switched from in-person to virtual school as TDSB announces huge reorganization
Click here to read more of Tuesday’s COVID-19 coverage.
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