'They were so appreciated and loved' Welcome to the Maclean's daily newsletter. As the coronavirus disrupts life in Canada, and Canadians get used to the notion of "social distancing" and "flattening the curve," Maclean's has expanded this newsletter to include everything you need to know about the global pandemic. You'll still find our best stories of the day at the bottom of the newsletter, but we'll also catch you up on news and notes from around the world. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “They told me I was everything: 'tis a lie, I am no ague-proof”—King Lear, played by Colm Feore in one of 12 Shakespearean productions the Stratford Festival is putting online during our era of self-isolation. In Canada, nearly 40,000 people are infected with COVID-19, while more than 1,950 have died. Worldwide, more than 2.6 million people have been infected, with 180,000 deaths. The federal government announced a $1,250 per month benefit to run from May to August for post-secondary students and new graduates unable to find work during those crucial summer months. Not unexpectedly, home and condo sales have collapsed in the red-hot Toronto real estate market, the Globe and Mail reports. It’s hard to look for a new home when it’s all but impossible to enter them. The timeline of when COVID-19 began spreading in North America was revealed to be earlier than originally believed after news from Santa Clara County in California that two deaths—one on Feb. 6 and another on Feb. 17—were caused by COVID-19 and were the result of community infection. Experts believe the person who died on Feb. 6 was likely infected in mid-January. Previously, the first death due to COVID-19 in the United States was thought to be a person who returned from Wuhan, China, and who died on Feb. 26 in Seattle. The official tally of deaths from COVID-19 may be severely undercounted in some jurisdictions. Comparing mortality data from previous years to current statistics, an analysis by the Financial Times shows that 41,000 more people may have died from COVID-19 in Britain, well in excess of the official toll of more than 17,000. Many of those are people who died without getting official COVID-19 tests. In New York City, a similar large undercount is believed to be occurring. Even the illegal drug industry is struggling during the pandemic, a Reuters investigation reveals. Its growers and manufacturers can’t procure chemicals such as ephedrine, which is needed to cook meth. As well, smugglers can’t hide among the usual throngs at international land borders. The result? Supplies in some markets are dwindling and prices are going up. Frustrated in trying to grow sourdough starter? Put aside bread-making to make Ikea’s iconic meatball recipe, which the company just divulged online. It comes with pictogram instructions but doesn’t require an Allen key for assembly. —Patricia Treble As of the latest update, this is the number of confirmed cases in Canada. We're updating this chart every day.
| 