Coronavirus Update: WHO says children aged 12 and older should wear masks to tackle COVID-19

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

Top headlines:

1. WHO says children aged 12 and older should wear masks to tackle COVID-19
2. China has been giving experimental coronavirus vaccines to high-risk patients
3. Province rejects Alberta Teachers’ Association request to delay school year

In Canada, there have been at least 124,279 cases reported. In the last week 2,621 new cases were announced, 2% fewer than the previous week. There have also been at least 110,600 recoveries and 9,062 deaths. Health officials have administered more than 5,359,807 tests.

Worldwide, there have been at least 22,678,483 cases confirmed and 793,698 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 • Global rules on mask-wearing • Canada’s back-to-school plans

Photo of the day

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Number of the day

1,500

Around 1,500 volunteers equipped with face masks, hand disinfectant and tracking gadgets attended an indoor concert in Germany on Saturday as part of a study to simulate how the novel coronavirus spreads in large gatherings.

Coronavirus in Canada

• The Alberta government turned down a request from the Alberta Teachers’ Association, made up of 46,00 members, to delay the start of the school year until after Labour Day. Teachers, principals and other staff argued that they need more time to prepare for students due to COVID-19. However, Education Minister Adriana LaGrange says the government will leave it up to individual school boards to decide on when classes should resume.
• The British Columbia Institute of Technology has developed innovative teaching tools that will prove valuable during the pandemic, such as holograms and 3-D models. Their technology allows students to study helicopter engines through holograms and treat virtual patients with a variety of health problems. Most importantly during the pandemic, the augmented-reality tools reduce the time students have to be in the classroom.
• In Victoria, B.C., a $2,300 fine was issued to a party host who allegedly failed to follow COVID-19 provincial health guidelines. Police say they visited a suite in a multi-unit residential building on Friday twice to respond to reports of a noisy party attended by a large number of people.
• A Canada Post processing plant in Edmonton, Alberta closed after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. The Crown corporation says the worker was exposed to the virus outside the workplace and has not worked since Aug. 16.

In Ottawa, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is tasked with charting the course for Canada’s economic recovery in the post-pandemic world. She told that reporters that this process needs to be “green,” “equitable,” “inclusive” and focused on “jobs and growth.” But with the government seeing mounting debt from pandemic spending, Globe reporters pointed out that tough choices are inevitable.

Coronavirus around the world

• The World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund have now advised that anyone over the age of 12 should wear a mask under the same conditions as adults. Whether children between six and 11 should wear masks depends on risk factors, including the intensity of transmission in the area and adequate adult supervision.
• China has been giving experimental vaccines to people facing high infection risks, according to state media. The aim is to boost the immunity of specific groups of people, including medical workers and those who work at food markets and in the transportation and service sectors. No vaccine has yet passed final, large-scale trials.
• Around 1,500 mask-wearing volunteers attended an indoor concert in Germany for a study on how big gatherings spread the coronavirus. The participants were given contact tracers to help track the distance between concertgoers and to identify which parts of the arena people crowd too closely together. Researchers from the University Medical Center in Halle want to find out how cultural and sporting events can safely take place without posing a risk to the population.

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• Coastal governors urged residents in the U.S. Gulf Coast to prepare for two tropical storms, Marco and Laura, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. On Saturday morning, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency, urging residents to make preparations, given the unpredictability of the storms and the limited amount of available shelter space due to social distancing requirements.
• Arizona State University in the U.S. is suing Facebook and the owner of an Instagram account that advertised COVID-19 parties on campus. Instagram, which Facebook owns, has now deleted the account.

Globe opinion

• Editorial board: “The first wave of the virus forced a lot of sacrifices on Canadians. Our collective effort kept the pandemic contained at reasonable levels. Now, as the country carefully reopens – with many still jobless and the unemployment rate at a stark 10.9 per cent – personal vigilance is as important as ever.”
• Omar El Akkad: “In this year of plague and depression, the most powerful nation in human history has become a sad amalgam of laughingstock, cautionary tale and pariah.”
• Jessica Leonora Whitehead: “After the Spanish Flu closings, the movie business grew to new heights with the vertical integration of the industry, which some film historians have suggested was facilitated by the post-1918 closing of many small mom-and-pop theatres. It remains to be seen if the current industry can also adapt – before we come to the dawning realization that it’s too late.”

Distractions

For the bookworms: Five Black and Indigenous booksellers on reading race in Canada

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• Cover to Cover Bookshelf, Winnipeg: Owner Tony Hazzard recommends Ta-Nehesi Coates’s books including Between The World and Me, The Beautiful Struggle or The Water Dancer.
• Iron Dog Books, Vancouver: Co-owner Hilary Atleo recommends My Conversations with Canadians by Lee Maracle and Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad.
• Librarie Racines, Montreal: Owner Gabriella Kinté recommends Africville by Shauntay Grant and Policing Black Lives by Robyn Maynard.
• Massy Books, Vancouver: Bookseller Patricia Massy recommends Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad and Red Skin, White Masks: Rejecting the Colonial Politics of Recognition by Glen Coulthard.
• Sankofa Books, Ottawa: Operational Manager Confidence Eyong recommends The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey or Africa for the Africans by Marcus Garvey, as well as When Rocks Cry Out by Horace Butler.

Information centre

• 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. Wash your hands. How to break a bad habit (like touching your face). Is flying safe?
• 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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