Curve is being flattened, top doctor says
Canada’s top public-health official struck an optimistic tone about the COVID-19 pandemic on Saturday, saying efforts to keep down the number of infections are working as provinces across the country reported more positive figures.
“By following public-health recommendations, we have collectively brought down the rate of infection. We are flattening the curve,” Dr. Theresa Tam said in a statement as federal officials and the prime minister took a break from their daily press conferences.
“While we can continue to be cautiously optimistic, it is important that everyone remains aware of our duty to protect one another, especially those who are most vulnerable, as we navigate the next few weeks.”
The message came as New Brunswick reported it had no more active cases of COVID-19 on Saturday after two weeks without a new infection and Ontario Premier Doug Ford said his province could get through the pandemic faster than previously expected.
“We’re seeing a gradual downward slope in the public domain, and the lower we get, the more we can open up and get back to the new normal,” Ford said.
“I don’t know the exact time, but if we keep going the way we’re going, we’re going to get out of this a lot sooner than we thought we might’ve been able to get out a couple of months ago.”
At the provincial legislature, demonstrators gathered for a second Saturday in a row for an antilockdown protest. Ford blasted the protesters for disrespecting the Canadian flag by flying it upsidedown during the demonstration.
“I understand, people are hurting out there and people want to get back out there,” Ford said. But he added that flying the flag upside-down disrespects members of the Armed Forces who are overseas, as well as those helping in long-term care facilities in Ontario. “What they’re doing is putting their lives in jeopardy, as far as I’m concerned with congregating side-by-side,” Ford said.
Provinces across Canada are preparing to start relaxing lockdown rules this week.
Businesses such as gardening centres and auto dealerships will be allowed to open in Ontario on Monday, while residents in Newfoundland and Labrador will be allowed to interact with one household other than their own.
Quebec has announced plans to gradually reopen daycares, elementary schools, retail businesses, construction and manufacturing during the month of May.
The province has seen most of its deaths in long-term care homes and Premier François Legault has said the fight against COVID-19 is entirely different in those facilities — an argument with which Ford agreed on Saturday.
“There’s two different worlds right now we’re fighting this virus, one in long-term care homes and one in the public domain,” Ford said. “In the public domain, everyone has done an incredible job and that’s the reason why we see the trend going down.”
Ford’s comments came as deaths continued to mount, with another 114 deaths in Quebec, 55 in Ontario and two in Nova Scotia.
Canada has counted more than 56,000 confirmed cases of COVID19 and more than 3,500 deaths.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with his counterpart in New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, to share information about fighting the pandemic while protecting the economy. The two leaders also spoke about the need to keep supply chains working throughout the global crisis, particularly in regards to medical supplies.