Federal government, provinces reach $19B pandemic deal
The federal government will provide $19 billion to the provinces and territories to help fund a “safe restart” of the Canadian economy, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
The money will focus on seven priority areas, including enhanced COVID-19 testing and contact tracing, the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) for front-line workers and businesses, funding for municipalities for transit, a national sick leave plan and child care.
Some of the money will go toward improving the state of long-term care and to fund mental health services and tackle homelessness.
“COVID-19 isn’t just a health crisis. It’s an economic crisis, too,” Trudeau said at a press conference on Parliament Hill. “When we talk about the recovery phase, it’s not just about making sure we can detect, control and prevent future outbreaks. It’s also about helping people, businesses and entire communities adjust to our new normal.”
The prime minister previously pledged $14 billion — but premiers said that amount was not nearly enough to cover their needs.
WATCH | Answers to your questions about masks and catching the virus:
Russian hackers targeted COVID-19 vaccine research in Canada, U.S. and U.K., say intelligence agencies
A Russia-backed hacker group has tried to steal COVID-19-related vaccine research in Canada.
The Communications Security Establishment, which is responsible for Canada’s foreign signals intelligence, said a group known as APT29 — also known as Cozy Bear and the Dukes — is behind the malicious activity.
The group was accused of hacking the Democratic National Committee before the 2016 U.S. election. It “almost certainly operates as part of Russian intelligence services,” the CSE said in a statement released Thursday morning — an allegation the Kremlin immediately denied.
“These malicious cyber activities were very likely undertaken to steal information and intellectual property relating to the development and testing of COVID-19 vaccines and serve to hinder response efforts,” the CSE said.
In response to inquiries from CBC News, a spokesperson for the agency pointed to a recent threat bulletin that reported a Canadian biopharmaceutical company was compromised by a foreign cyber threat in mid-April.
Read more about the hacking allegations.
Health charities in Canada hit with historic loss in revenue during COVID-19
Canada’s health charities expect to raise less than half of their normal funds this year because of COVID-19. The pandemic has led to the cancellation of many in-person events that charities rely on for fundraising, and the financial hit means delays in disease research and fewer supports for people with a variety of illnesses.
The Health Charities Coalition of Canada, an umbrella group of national health charities that hosts walkathons, galas and other major fundraising events, typically raises around $650 million a year. But its members report that revenues have fallen more than 50 per cent, in part because physical distancing requirements have curtailed regular fundraising events.
For ALS Canada, the decline in donations has delayed connecting patients with mobility chairs, hospital beds and other needed services, according to Tammy Moore, CEO of the Health Charities Coalition of Canada.
“Caregivers are seeing an increased burden as the personal support workers are not able to go in the home in the same way,” Moore said. “Making sure that people physically can stay safely in their homes is an important part of the equipment provision that we have.”
Read more about the pandemic’s effect on charity fundraising.
Ontario man shot dead by police hours after mask dispute leads to alleged assault
Ontario’s police watchdog is investigating after officers fatally shot a 73-year-old man in Haliburton County on Wednesday morning. The man had refused to wear a mask at a grocery store in Minden, Ont., about 200 kilometres northeast of Toronto, and allegedly assaulted a grocery store employee before driving away, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Officers tried to stop the man’s car, but they stopped their pursuit “in the interest of public safety,” police said. According to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), an “interaction” later occurred between the man and police outside his home, and two officers fired their guns.
In a news release issued Thursday morning, the SIU said investigators had recovered a pistol and a semi-automatic rifle from the scene. The firearms of two police officers were also taken into evidence, the agency said.
Read more about the shooting near Minden, Ont.
Stay informed with the latest COVID-19 data from Canada and around the world.
Canada’s higher COVID-19 death rate tied to better chronic disease control
Heart researchers say there’s a surprising reason Canada has seen a higher number of COVID-19 deaths than countries with fewer health-care resources — more Canadians live longer with chronic disease, putting them at greater risk of dying from COVID-19.
Research led by Heart & Stroke also found the pandemic has likely postponed thousands of cardiovascular procedures. The findings underscore the devastating consequences of poor heart health even if excellent medical care and technology are available, said lead author Cindy Yip.
“With chronic disease like heart conditions and stroke, we need to take actions, and we need them to take care of their health in order to avoid the poor outcome from COVID-19,” she said.
Neighbours take aim at Toronto family’s pandemic pirate ship
John Konstantinidis spent two months building his children a backyard paradise — a pirate ship complete with a deck and pool to lure them away from screens. But the Toronto father has been ordered to dismantle it after a neighbour’s complaint led bylaw officers to his door.
“The kids went crazy. I mean, bawling … They were very sad about it,” he said. “Kids always tend to be victims in such situations.”
In an email to CBC News, a representative from the City of Toronto explained that officials followed up on a complaint regarding a large structure with a pool close to the property line. Konstantinidis has been ordered to move the structure back 1.5 metres (five feet) to comply with zoning setback requirements for pools, which he says he’ll do.
Find out more about the pandemic pirate ship here.
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With files from CBC News, The Canadian Press, The Associated Press and Reuters
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