Coronavirus Update: Private equity firms are ready to feast on pandemic spoils

Good evening, here are the coronavirus updates you need to know tonight.

Top headlines:

1. With trillions of dollars on hand, private equity firms are ready to feast on pandemic spoils
2. COVID-19 and offices: Could the coronavirus be transmitted through the air?
3. As pro sports leagues prepare to restart, more and more athletes are testing positive for COVID-19
4. The WHO warns of a “new and dangerous phase” in the pandemic. Over the past two weeks, 81 nations have seen a growth in new cases, while only 36 have seen declines.

In Canada, there have been at least 100,957 cases reported. In the last week 2,533 new cases were announced, 25% fewer than the previous week. There have also been at least 63,450 recoveries and 8,410 deaths. Health officials have administered more than 2,495,571 tests.

Worldwide, there have been at least 8,663,135 cases confirmed and 460,005 deaths reported.

Sources: Canada data is compiled from government websites, Johns Hopkins and COVID-19 Canada Open Data Working Group; international data is from Johns Hopkins University.

Coronavirus explainers: Updates and essential resources • Coronavirus in maps and charts • Lockdown rules and reopening plans in each province

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Coronavirus in Canada

• Even with easing COVID-19 restrictions, Alberta tourism industry – the fourth largest employment sector in the province – is still struggling. Premier Jason Kenney also announced that he is not making masks mandatory, instead opting for “very strong recommendation.”
• The pandemic has forced Pride celebrations to go remote. While many drag performers in Toronto have adjusted to online performances, they said the crowd’s energy and financial support can’t match those of live shows.
• Premier Blaine Higgs is optimistic about the timeline of New Brunswick’s economic recovery, as the province continues to ease COVID-19 restrictions for all but one region.
• In Ottawa, the federal government announced that it will give bonus pay of $78 per day to Canadian Armed Forces members whose duties put them at risk of COVID-19. Hazard pay for an estimated 4,500 troops will be applied retroactively to when members started their duties and will continue until September 30.

Coronavirus around the world

• President Donald Trump’s rally and campaign events in Tulsa, Oklahoma drew tens of thousands of attendees. Just hours before the event, six staff members helping to set up the rally tested positive for COVID-19. Trump’s team said those with immediate contact to these staff would not be able to attend — but there are still fears of the event being a super-spreader because it is taking place indoor.
• Spain will be opening its tourism market as it removes the two-week quarantine requirement for British tourists.
• Zimbabwe’s health minister has been accused of illegally giving a multi-million-dollar contract for COVID-19 medical supplies to a company that sold these supplies to the government at inflated prices. He is now charged with criminal abuse of duty.
• With a rising number of COVID-19 cases in Turkey following easing restrictions, President Tayyip Erdogan acknowledged that the country’s fight against the pandemic has lost some ground. But he believes physical distancing would help the country regain its momentum.

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Globe opinion

• Adrienne Tanner: “Although it was sanctioned by all three levels of government, the safe-supply experiment is failing to save enough lives. The overdose deaths in May alone outstripped the total caused by COVID-19 in British Columbia to date.”
• Cathal Kelly: “Manfred is now the most talked-about league boss in the world. He will be remembered as the labour lawyer who had no clue how to lawyer labour.”

Distractions

For those celebrating Father’s Day – or simply to welcome summer – this weekend

• Lucy Waverman has easy salads and dessert recipes to liven up your summer
• Christopher Waters recommends nine vibrant and refreshing wines for summer sipping
• Dave McGinn wants to show you a raspberry mousse that celebrates summer fruit
• Bonus: A hearty potato salad perfect for a Father’s Day picnic

Information centre

• Pandemic personal finance: Rob Carrick’s 10-point checklist of things you should have done by now to protect or improve your money situation. Tips for minimizing damage to your credit score; how to manage retirement anxiety during difficult times; and things to think about if you’re considering home delivery.
• Here are the expectations for self-isolation; tips for managing anxiety and protecting your mental health; and what to do if you think you have the virus, and what you can do to help slow the spread of coronavirus. How to break a bad habit (like touching your face).
• The best foods to eat to maintain an immune system-friendly diet; and how to keep a healthy diet while working from home; four eating tips when working from home; and five mistakes that might cause you to gain unwanted weight. Here are the essentials to stock up on and how to shop safely for groceries; the best pantry staples and how to stop stress-eating. What to cook with rhubarb (aside from pie).
• Here’s what you should do if you are newly laid off; how to apply for CERB, EI, and other financial benefits; how the CRA might identify CERB fraud; and other coronavirus and employment questions answered. What to do if your employees don’t return to work because they want to collect CERB.

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