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Several First Nations grapple with confirmed COVID-19 cases
At least eight First Nations have confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, raising concerns about further transmission and prompting calls for greater response from the federal and provincial governments.
Cases have been reported in Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan. Both urban and remote communities have been affected, from Six Nations of the Grand River near Hamilton to the Cree Nation of Nemaska, a community in Quebec nearly 1,400 kilometres northwest of Montreal.
The developments have some communities taking steps to limit traffic in and out of their territories and declaring states of emergency.
Have you had to self-quarantine because of the coronavirus? We want to hear your story. Email: tips@globeandmail.com
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‘We are not prepared’: Inuit brace for coronavirus to reach remote communities
The Inuit self-governing region in northern Labrador is one of the few places left in Canada without a confirmed case of COVID-19, and Indigenous leaders there are deeply concerned their communities are vulnerable to an outbreak and ill-equipped to handle one if it occurs.
“We are not prepared” is the blunt assessment of Johannes Lampe, president of Nunatsiavut, which includes the coastal communities of Hopedale, Makkovik, Postville, Rigolet and Nain.
The mayor of Hopedale sent this photo. It's of Tracy Dicker, the community's daycare operator, with her daughter, on a day when the 'Paw Patrol' animals were pulled through town on a snowmobile to entertain children stuck inside their homes.Supplied
The chief of a remote First Nation tries to fend off the coronavirus
Isolation has so far protected Canada’s remote Indigenous communities from the coronavirus. Far from the big cities where the virus is taking the heaviest toll, they have largely been able to shield themselves from its spread. But isolation is also their greatest weakness.
If the virus gets in, they are a long way from help. With crowded households, many residents in poor health and limited medical facilities, they could be devastated.
Few people know this better than Harvey Yesno.
WORLD NEWS
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hospitalized because of coronavirus symptoms as the Queen addresses the country
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to hospital Sunday night 10 days after testing positive for the novel coronavirus.
Officials said that while Mr. Johnson, 55, continues to have a high temperature, this was not an emergency admission.
Mr. Johnson’s admission to hospital was announced just after a special broadcast by the Queen in which she urged Britain and the Commonwealth to work together to overcome the pandemic.
In this file photo taken last month, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street in central London.TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images
MORNING MARKETS
Global stocks jumped on Monday as investors were encouraged by a slowdown in coronavirus-related deaths and new cases, while oil prices skidded after Saudi-Russian negotiations to cut output were delayed, keeping oversupply concerns alive. U.S. stock futures rose 4%, trading close to their upper limit after U.S. President Donald Trump expressed hope the country was seeing a “leveling off” of the coronavirus crisis. London’s FTSE was up 3.2% in early trading, while Germany’s DAX index was 4% higher.
Looking for investing ideas? Check out The Globe’s weekly digest of the latest insights and analysis from the pros, stock tips, portfolio strategies and what investors need to know for the week ahead. This week’s edition includes A&W payout suspension, best balanced ETFs and ditching a popular high-yield bond fund.
WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
We are at war with COVID-19
Andrew Potter: “By now it should be clear to everyone that we are at war. From the restrictions on civil liberties, to the command economy, to the rationing of key supplies, to the hoarding of food and medicine, to the daily body counts – this is wartime.”
The virus in the body politic: We have lost our ability to cherish each other
Ai Weiwei: “To stand in awe of life itself is the best way to see the connections between an individual body and the rest of life. We despise war, we despise the barriers that separate people and we despise the political schemes that divide people into irreconcilable groups. The compensation that the coronavirus affords us is that we can view the world with a bit more wisdom.”
Effort fighting Trump should be effort spent fighting pandemic
John Ibbitson: “Mr. Trump is likely to win re-election. And even if he loses, the many millions of America-firsters who support him will continue to push for closed borders and closed minds. In the meantime, Team Canada will have to continue its work: bracing for the next outrage from the President, then pressing the administration’s more reasonable minds to remember that whatever hurts our country hurts their country too.”
TODAY’S EDITORIAL CARTOON
David ParkinsDavid Parkins/The Globe and Mail
LIVING BETTER
Coronavirus disrupting your workout routine? Here’s how to take up jogging – safely
Running is an inexpensive and practical way to keep the heart and lungs healthy. Combine that with the mental benefits of simply being outside – especially during periods of prolonged indoor isolation – and it’s no wonder the streets and sidewalks are seeing lots of foot traffic these days.
Just be sure when you’re outside to respect the guideline to stay six feet away from other people.
I survived the coronavirus. It wasn’t easy, but we can get through it
Even as a physician, I could not access any of the medications that theoretically might decrease viral shedding. Instead, I added higher doses of vitamins D and C, zinc, quercetin, magnesium and extra antioxidants such as curcumin and resveratrol.
What else did I do that helped? Lots and lots of sleep and rest.
MOMENT IN TIME
Provincial Timmis and Tammies cut 1967 Easter Seal cake in Toronto, March 15, 1967. From left: Mildred Mouw, 7, British Columbia; Gary McDonald, 7, Alberta; Donald Akerley, 12, Manitoba; Joe Fitzpatrick, 14, Newfoundland; Marilyn McBain, 16, New Brunswick; Carlotta Wood, 10, Saskatchewan; Judy Arsenault, 13, Prince Edward Island; Valerie Buchanan, 12, Nova Scotia. Ontario and Quebec were not represented. Originally published March 16, 1967JAMES LEWCUN/The Globe and Mail
For more than 100 years, photographers have preserved an extraordinary collection of 20th-century news photography for The Globe and Mail. Every Monday, The Globe features one of these images. This month, we’re looking at the fight for rights and accommodations for people with disabilities.
It’s estimated that one in five Canadians over 15 is living with some form of disability that affects their quality of life. Since 1922, Easter Seals Canada, and its provincial affiliations, has provided programs, services and leadership, committing itself to enhancing the well-being and independence of Canadians living with disabilities. Among the charity’s best-known programs is its accessible summer camps for children with conditions ranging from mental disabilities and autism to cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and spina bifida. For many years, the organization has used young male and female ambassadors (known as Timmy and Tammy) to draw attention to its cause. In the photo above in March, 1967, Globe photographer James Lewcun shows provincial Timmies and Tammies – like most children – more interested in cake than their otherwise difficult daily struggles. – Philip King
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