Your weekly COVID-19 update Every Tuesday, the Maclean's daily newsletter will catch you up on what you need to know about Canada's fight against the coronavirus. This week, Patricia Treble focuses on one story worth watching, and you can get a sneak peek here. You'll also get the same mix of Maclean's stories you expect every day if you scroll down below. Records are falling with such regularity that it’s easily to become numb to the scale of the crisis unfolding in Canada. The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating and the strain on the medical system is becoming unsustainable in more and more areas. “We’re seeing record spikes,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday. “I urge premiers and mayors to do the right thing. Act now to protect public health.”
On Tuesday, Manitoba announced that the entire province was moving into the red “critical” level of its pandemic response system, as of Thursday. “We are truly at a crossroads in our fight against the pandemic,” said Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer.” The announcement came after weeks of an ever-worsening COVID-19 crisis, which has seen its daily rate of new cases skyrocket to a Canada-wide record of 230.2 per million population, more than double the national rate of 108.7. In addition, 80 out of the province’s 85 intensive care beds are occupied , Lanette Siragusa, the province’s chief nursing officer, revealed on Monday. In addition, COVID-19 is spreading in long-term care homes, with outbreaks reported in more than 20 such facilities in the Winnipeg area, including Parkview Place, where at least 23 residents have died, and Maples, where more than 175 residents and staff have contracted COVID-19. READ MORE >> | 