Top COVID-19 stories and news
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- Deaths shine a light on precarious work in long-term care homes
- Use these fact-checking tools to debunk COVID-19 hoaxes
- Strike ups pressure on TTC to protect drivers
- Toronto pandemics past: Typhoid and a tale of death in the water
Follow the latest Toronto news on coronavirus
4:35 pm Toronto has more than 3,300 cases of COVID-19
Toronto has 3,346 cases of COVID-19 as of this afternoon, including 3,013 confirmed cases and 333 probable cases. City public health officials report there are 274 cases hospitalized, with 98 in intensive care units. In total, 162 people have died of COVID-19 in Toronto.
1:38 pm Ontario to invest $20 million in COVID-19 vaccine research
Ontario premier Doug Ford said on Saturday that the provincial government will spend $20 million to fund research into a COVID-19 vaccine.
“The world needs a vaccine and there’s no reason why that vaccine can’t be found in Ontario,” he said, after noting that the crisis would not fully abate until a vaccine is developed.
Minister of colleges and universities Ross Romano added the government wants to secure proposals with “a high chance of success in a quick fashion” via what he called the “rapid research fund.”
Researchers can submit proposals for the funding via an online portal until April 24.
11:54 am Canada-U.S. border closure extended for 30 days: Trudeau
The Canada-U.S. border will remain closed to non-essential travellers for another 30 days, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today.
Speaking during his daily COVID-19 press briefing, he said he public safety minister Bill Blair led talks with his American counterparts to reach a deal to keep restrictions in place.
“This is an important decision and one that will keep people on both sides of the border safe,” Trudeau said.
The land border between the two countries closed to recreational travel and tourism in March, though essential travel and trade continues.
Trudeau also announced $306 million in federal funding to help Indigenous businesses weather the pandemic. He said the money will be provided through financial institutions and the National Association of Indigenous Associations in the form of interest-free, short-term loan and non-refundable contributions.
More news aimed at Indigenous businesses and employees will be announced soon, he added.
10:52 am Ontario has more than 10,000 COVID-19 cases
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ontario has passed the 10,000 mark. As of 4 pm on Friday, the province had 10,010 cases, an increase of 485 – or 5.1 per cent – from the previous day. There are 828 patients in hospital, with 250 in intensive care and 197 in intensive care on ventilators.
The number of resolved cases is 4,875 and 514 people have died. There are 108 outbreaks reported in long-term care homes.
In terms of testing, 9,462 tests were completed since the previous day’s report. In all, 146,454 tests have been carried out in Ontario.
9:30 am Toronto and Ontario to share latest modelling numbers on Monday
We’ll get another update on the latest modelling data the province and city are using to guide their responses to the coronavirus pandemic. Yesterday, both premier Doug Ford and John Tory said they would share updated projections with the public on Monday.
On April 3, the province released projection numbers that estimated around 1,600 deaths in Ontario by the end of April and 80,000 cases of COVID-19 overall if current physical distancing measures stay in place. By the end of the pandemic, the province is expected to have suffered between 3,000 and 15,000 deaths.
As of Thursday, Ontario has 9,525 cases and 478 people have died.
At the federal level, deaths have blown past projections for April as more than 1,300 people have died from COVID-19 nation-wide so far. Canada had predicted 500 and 700 deaths by mid-month. Prime Minister said this week that the higher number of deaths is due to the way the virus is spreading in long-term care homes.
9 am Canada has over 31,000 cases of COVID-19
There are 31,884 cases of COVID-19 in Canada and 1,309 people have died.
The outbreak is a serious public health threat though most people who contract the virus have not been hospitalized.
Symptoms include cough, fever, difficulty breathing and pneumonia in both lungs and may take up to 14 days to appear after exposure. People age 65 and over and people with compromised immune systems and/or underlying medical conditions have a higher risk of contracting a severe case.
