The latest on the coronavirus: Canada refuses to go to Olympics unless postponed; Trudeau not at point of declaring federal emergency

Latest headlines

• Yukon confirms first cases of coronavirus
• Canada refuses to go to Tokyo Olympics unless Games postponed
• Federal, local governments consider fines, prison to enforce social distancing
• Canada is not at the point of declaring a federal emergency, Trudeau says
• Toronto reports first COVID-19 death
• Parliament to reconvene Tuesday to vote on COVID-19 measures
• Late last night, 444 Canadians who had been stuck in Morocco arrived in Montreal
• Nova Scotia declares state of emergency

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10:35 p.m. EDT

Yukon confirms first cases of coronavirus

Yukon’s chief medical health officer says the territory has its first two cases of COVID-19.

Dr. Brendan Hanley says a couple from Whitehorse who attended a conference in the U.S. were tested upon their return.

He says they had both been self-isolating since they got home, and in doing so, protected their fellow Yukoners from catching the virus.

Hanley says the cases do not change the risk of becoming ill with the virus in the territory.

He’s recommending everyone avoid non-essential travel into and out of Yukon.

He says he had already planned on making the recommendation before the two cases were confirmed.

Hanley says everyone who comes to the territory from outside Yukon is required to self-isolate for 14 days, even if they didn’t travel outside Canada.

The territory is also banning social gatherings of more than 10 people.

- The Canadian Press

9:40 p.m. EDT

Ottawa launches $30-million ad campaign urging social distancing, hygiene

The federal government is launching a $30-million national ad campaign Monday to urge every Canadian to do their bit to help prevent the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus.

The advertisements, featuring Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, are to air starting Monday on television, radio and in print and will run until at least the end of April.

The 15-second ads – two in English and two in French – zero in on the two main things each individual can do to curb the spread of the virus: personal hygiene and social distancing.

In one, Tam advises everyone to avoid crowded places, avoid non-essential travel and stay home as much as possible; and, if they may have been exposed to COVID-19, to self-isolate.

In the other, she reminds Canadians to protect themselves and others, especially those with pre-existing medical conditions and older people, by practising good hygiene: frequent hand washing, not touching your face, coughing or sneezing into your arm and staying home as much as possible.

- The Canadian Press

9:30 p.m. EDT

Canada refuses to go to Tokyo Olympics unless Games postponed

Canada won’t be at this summer’s Tokyo Olympics unless the Games are postponed by a year.

The Canadian Olympic Committee sent out a statement Sunday evening saying it’s refusing to send a team to Tokyo unless the Games, which are scheduled to start on July 24, are pushed back by 12 months.

The COC’s statement comes amid a chorus of criticism aimed at the International Olympic Committee’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

IOC president Thomas Bach said earlier Sunday that they’d set a deadline of four weeks to determine the fate of the Games, and that the global organization is considering options including postponement.

Cancelling the Games entirely, Bach said, is not being considered.

It was the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began that the IOC had admitted that it would consider other options.

- The Canadian Press

9:20 p.m. EDT

Saskatchewan minister says province’s pandemic orders supersede municipal ones

The Saskatchewan government says its COVID-19 orders will supersede those made by municipalities after Regina announced an emergency order with restrictions on crowd sizes that differed from provincial ones.

A news release from the province on Sunday says Government Relations Minister Lori Carr has spoken to Regina Mayor Michael Fougere and clarified that its provincial orders take precedence when there’s a conflict.

The province has declared that public gatherings of more than 25 people in one room are prohibited except where two-metre distancing between people can be maintained.

But Regina said in its declaration of a local emergency on Friday that group meetings larger than five people are prohibited, except for essential service providers.

The city also took a further step than the province by ordering retail stores, except for facilities that provide delivery or curbside service, to close as of Monday.

Carr says that while she understands Fougere and Regina councillors intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it is of “utmost importance” to minimize confusion.

“I have communicated to Regina Mayor Michael Fougere that the provincial emergency orders have been made based on the advice of Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer,” Carr said in the province’s statement on Sunday.

A spokesman for Fougere said the mayor would not be available for comment until Monday.

- The Canadian Press

7:30 p.m. EDT

Federal, local governments consider fines, prison to enforce social distancing

The federal government will use tough enforcement measures, which include the threat of prison and massive fines, if Canadians don’t take self-isolation and social distancing seriously, federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu says.

“We will use every measure in our toolbox at the federal level to ensure compliance,” she told a news conference on Sunday.

“For me, should we see a reluctance on behalf of the country to pull together, that would be a time when we would require additional measures.”

- Sean Fine

5:30 p.m. EDT

Labatt Breweries to manufacture hand sanitizer

Labatt Breweries says it’s about to start making something with a far higher proof: hand sanitizer.

The beermaker says it’s shifting its production in an effort to stem the spread of COVID-19.

It says the hand sanitizer will be donated to support Food Banks Canada and front-line workers in the restaurant and bar industry who are still offering take-out and delivery.

Essential supplies such as masks, gloves and hand sanitizer have been in short supply amid the pandemic, so governments are calling on the private sector to shift gears and ramp up their production.

- The Canadian Press

3:30 p.m. EDT

Toronto reports its first COVID-19 death

Toronto Public Health says a man in his 70s has died of COVID-19.

The agency says the man had travelled to Britain and died in hospital on Saturday.

Toronto Public Health says he had been in hospital since March 14 after he earlier tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

- The Canadian Press

1:56 p.m. EDT

Ontario to keep some child care centres open to help health care workers

Ontario says it will allow some child care centres in the province to stay open to care for the children of health care workers and first responders.

The province says the centres will be required to follow existing health and safety requirements and have a plan in place should any staff, children or parents be exposed to COVID-19.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce says the centres will also be required to limit the number of children they care for at one time.

Meanwhile, Ontario is reporting 47 new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the total in the province to 424. The total includes eight resolved cases and three deaths.

- The Canadian Press

1:37 p.m EDT

Erin O’Toole latest to call for delay in Conservative leadership vote amid outbreak

Conservative leadership candidate Erin O’Toole is adding his voice to the chorus of people calling for the June 27 vote to be delayed.

O’Toole, a former cabinet minister and current MP, said all Canadians need to focus on COVID-19 response, including his own campaign team, the party’s MPs and grassroots members.

He is the latest contender to suggest the party needs to delay the race, and the second of the four people already on the ballot to make that request of the party.

Late last week, Ontario MP Derek Sloan, who is also on the ballot, called for all the deadlines, including the April 17 cut-off to sign up new members, and the upcoming March 25 cut-off to meet the entry requirements, to be pushed back.

- The Canadian Press

12;07 p.m. EDT

Canada is not at the point of declaring a federal emergency, Trudeau says

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is not at the point where the federal government needs to take emergency measures to force people to stay at home during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Trudeau says provinces and local governments continue to take steps to restrict people’s movements and the federal government stepping in is a last resort.

Nova Scotia is the latest province to declare a state of emergency, restricting gatherings to no more than five people.

Premier Stephen McNeil says people are blatantly ignoring the need for social distancing.

Police in Nova Scotia are being given the power to enforce social distancing with $1,000 fines for individuals and $7,500 fines for businesses.

Nearly 1,400 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Canada and 19 people have died.

- The Canadian Press

10:50 a.m.

Parliament to reconvene Tuesday to vote on COVID-19 measures

The House of Commons will reconvene Tuesday to vote on measures to ease the burden of COVID-19 on individuals and businesses.

Government officials say they’ve been working behind the scenes with opposition parties to make sure the legislation can be debated and passed as quickly as possible.

On March 13, Parliament decided to follow its own advice about social distancing and shut down the house to allow government officials to focus their efforts on fighting the virus.

The proposed measures announced last week by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau include changes that would make it easier for people to take time off if they fall ill with COVID-19.

- The Canadian Press

10:35 a.m.

Nova Scotia declares state of emergency

Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil is declaring a provincial state of emergency due to COVID-19.

He says people are blatantly ignoring the need for social distancing.

As of 6 a.m. Monday morning, anyone who enters the province will have to self-isolate for 14 days. There are exceptions for people who provide essential services.

Groups are limited to a maximum of five people.

Police are being given the power to enforce social distancing with $1,000 fines for individuals and $7,500 fines for businesses.

Nova Scotia has seven new cases of COVID-19, bringing the provincial total to 28.

- The Canadian Press

9:30 a.m. EDT

Hundreds of Canadians stuck in Morocco return home

Late last night 444 Canadians who had been stuck in Morocco arrived in Montreal aboard an Air Canada commercial flight from Casablanca.

Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne also tweeted late Saturday night that he has been speaking with his counterparts in Australia, Brazil, Germany, Morocco, Peru, Turkey and the United Kingdom about how to safely repatriate citizens abroad, including those stuck on cruise ships.

- The Canadian Press

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9:10 a.m.

Opposition must take different approach in coronavirus fight, Andrew Scheer says

The unprecedented nature of the economic and health crisis created by COVID-19 means the Conservatives are finessing their approach to their role as the Official Opposition, says leader Andrew Scheer.

Shelved – for now – is reflexive opposition to the Liberals because of the parties’ differing philosophies on the role of government, Scheer said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

“There really isn’t much philosophical difference when it comes to fighting a virus or keeping Canadians healthy and safe,” he said.

What that means in practical terms as a minority Parliament gets set to deal with an $82-billion emergency aid package the Liberal government has promised is reframing how the party will approach its work, he said.

“It’s less of a debate of the ‘what’ and more accountability on the ‘how,’ ” he said.

Scheer said the Conservatives are also willing to cut the government some slack, recognizing the exceptionally fast way the situation has escalated, and at the same time to do more of their work behind the scenes.

He said they don’t intend to hold up the Liberals’ proposed package, but have been putting forward their own ideas on how to improve it, releasing a set of them on Saturday aimed at giving more support to small business in particular.

- The Canadian Press

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Archives

March 20: Alberta announces economic stimulus for oil and gas sector as Canada surpasses 1,000 cases

Marh 19: Pandemic kills Ontario, Alberta residents; border restrictions to kick in Friday night, PM says

March 18: Trudeau unveils sweeping new aid package; U.S.-Canada border to close to all non-essential travel

March 17: Ontario, Alberta, B.C. declare states of emergency; B.C. closes schools to combat virus spread

March 16: Total number of cases in Canada stands at 407; Ontario asks bars, restaurants to close

March 15: U.S. Fed cuts interest rates to near zero, Trudeau says more screening being put in place