Top COVID-19 stories and news
- Feds may train unemployed Canadians to work at long-term care homes
- Beck Taxi announces a flat fee for food delivery
- How much screen time is too much – for adults and children?
- Meet five Torontonians who launched businesses during the pandemic
- Support Toronto’s frontline workers through these grassroots initiatives
Follow the latest Toronto news on coronavirus
4:02 pm Homeless shelter resident dies from COVID-19
Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health Eileen de Villa said a resident of Toronto’s shelter system has died of COVID-19. On May 8, a man in 50s who was a resident at Dixon Hall died in hospital. De Villa added that the shelter experienced an outbreak in April and it was declared over on May 5.
The man is the first Toronto shelter resident to die from COVID-19, de Villa said.
She added all clients were tested and, to prevent further COID-19 spread, Toronto Public Health PH provided guidance to ensure enhanced infection prevention and control, cleaning and physical distancing measures were put in place.
As of May 10, de Villa said Toronto had 7,557 cases of COVID-19, an increase of 144 since yesterday. The number of cases now resolved is 5,340, an increase of 148 since yesterday. In all, 589 people have died and there are 125 outbreaks in long-term care settings.
3:54 pm Toronto launches program to help indie businesses create online stores
The city is creating a platform for indie businesses and artists to launch free online stores, Mayor John Tory said today.
ShopHERE is part of Toronto’s short-term economic support and recovery plan and will be available through the end of August. The program will help businesses develop an online store to be built and launched for free in a few days. The goal is to build 3,000 online stores. Tory said an estimated 49,500 Toronto businesses are eligible – including 7,300 restaurants, bars and cafes.
1:41 pm Ontario’s deficit to hit a record $41 billion due to pandemic: FAO report
Ontario’s budget deficit is expected to almost quadruple to a record $41 billion – or 5 per cent of GDP – in 2020-21, according to a report by the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO).
The office’s Spring 2020 Economic and Budget Outlook notes that lockdown measures implemented in response to the coronavirus pandemic will see the province’s real GDP decline by 9.0 per cent this year – the largest annual decline on record.
The report assumes that the shutdown will last through the middle of the year, with gradual reopening of activities happening in the summer.
The FAO predicts Ontario’s net debt-to-GDP ratio will hit a record 49.7 per cent in 2020-21, up almost 10 percentage points from 2019-20. Even as the economy recovers next year, the debt ratio will remain high at 48.7 per cent of GDP.
In a more optimistic outlook, the FAO projects the deficit to decrease to $25.3 billion in 2021-22 or more than double the 2019-20 deficit.
“There is significant risk that reopening the economy could take longer than expected due to the ongoing public health crisis,” the report states. “In an alternative scenario, where containment measures need to be lifted more gradually, Ontario’s economy would experience a more muted recovery, with real GDP rising 4.6 per cent in 2021, following a 9.3 per cent decline in 2020.”
In this scenario, the budget deficit would reach $45.3 billion in 2020-21, a modest improvement over 2021-22 at $37.6 billion. Ontario’s net debt-to-GDP ratio would rise above 52 per cent by 2021-22.
12:32 pm Starbucks to reopen two-thirds of its stores this week
Coffee giant Starbucks announced today that the company is on track to reopen 65 per cent of Canadian stores this week and 85 per cent by the end of the month.
The company, which had previously been operating only a handful of stores on a delivery-only basis, will institute a host of new social distancing protocols when stores reopen.
Customers will now be requested to wear face masks, which will be required for all staff members. Additionally, employees will also be required to have their temperature taken before each shift. Plexi-shields will be installed at cash registers.
The company had previously announced a plan to reopen “as many stores as possible” by the end of May.
11:33 am Trudeau announces loan programs for large corporations – with strings
Ottawa has announced new initiatives to keep mid-sized and large businesses afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday the federal government is extending the Business Credit Availability Program to mid-sized businesses and introducing the Large Employer Emergency Finance Facility for large companies that are unable access other forms of funding.
“Let me be clear: These are bridge loans – not bailouts,” Trudeau said, adding the goal is to protect jobs and avoid bankruptcies.
He added that Export Development Canada and Business Development Bank of Canada will work with private sector lenders to free up access to millions in capital for mid-sized companies in all sectors and in all regions.
Large corporations that receive loans will be subject to certain criteria. Trudeau said businesses must commit to maintaining jobs and not use the money for senior executive pay, respect collective agreements and pensions, maintain environment and climate commitments and put strict limits on dividends, share buy backs and executive compensation.
To counter tax evasion, businesses applying for the funding must disclose their complete financial structure.
“The goal here is not to fix pre-existing insolvencies or restructurings, nor is it to provide low-cost lending to those that need it,” the prime minister said. “We will protect workers and hold companies accountable.”
Full details of the loan programs have yet to be announced.
10:46 am Ontario reports 308 new COVID-19 cases, 35 deaths
The number of new COVID-19 cases in Ontario continued on a downward trend as public health officials reported a 1.5 per cent increase since the previous day. As of May 10, the province recorded 20,546 cases, an increase of 308. That’s a slight increase over Sunday, which saw the lowest number of new cases reported in six weeks.
Almost three quarters of the province’s cases – or 15,131 – are considered resolved.
There have been 35 more deaths, bringing the total number of people who have died in the province to 1,669.
The virus continues to spread in long-term care homes. There are 245 outbreaks reported in those settings, an increase of six from the previous report.
There are 1,027 people in hospital, including 194 in intensive care and 147 in intensive care on ventilators.
10:38 am Loblaws closes Dupont and Christie store
Loblaws has temporarily closed the Dupont and Christine store after “several” employees tested positive for COVID-19.
“We have always kept the safety of our colleagues and customer our highest priority,” the company said in a Facebook post. “With that in mind we’ve made the decision to temporarily close our Dupont and Christie location to the public.”
The store is closed as of May 11 but is still doing pick-up orders. The pharmacy is also remain open for prescriptions to be picked up and delivered.
9:15 am Ontario legislature to vote on extending state of emergency
MPPs will convene on Tuesday to vote on whether to extend the state of emergency in the province to June 2, CTV news reports. Politicians will also hold question period during the one-day session.
The state of emergency, which expires on May 12 allows the government to create and enforce emergency orders. There will also be a one-hour question period for opposition parties to question the government on its response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Only 42 MPPs will be in attendance due to physical distancing measures.
9:10 am High Park reopens to the public
After closing to deter crowds from visiting the cherry blossom trees, High Park has reopened to the public, Mayor John Tory said on Sunday night. The mayor said the bloom is over but the park will remain closed to vehicular traffic.
Parks have stayed open during the pandemic, but amenities such as playgrounds are closed. Toronto took the extra measure of closing High Park on April 30 to prevent large crowds from gathering during peak bloom. The city livestreamed the cherry blossom bloom online over the past week.
9 am Canada has over 68,000 cases of COVID-19
There are 68,848 cases of COVID-19 in Canada and 4,871 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.
@nowtoronto
