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Alleged theft of government COVID-19 relief funds sparks calls for more oversight

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The alleged theft of tens of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds is triggering calls for improved oversight of pandemic spending.

As disclosed by , as many as 400 e-transfer payments of $200 and $250 were funneled to fake accounts or addresses earlier this year.

A Ministry of Education employee was fired and the Ontario Provincial Police anti-rackets squad has been called in to probe the scheme, which may have netted as much as $100,000.

The province has also retained KPMG to conduct an investigation to determine how much was stolen from the $380-million Support for Families program.

That pandemic measure was introduced by Finance Minister Rod Phillips last spring to help families “offset the cost of buying materials to support their children’s learning while they practiced self-isolation and physical distancing.”

There were payments of $200 for all children up to age 12 and $250 for children or youth with special needs up to age 21. The money was to help parents buy work books, educational apps, and other learning tools.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said Monday the alleged theft was “really disappointing.”

“The money was meant for families and children. You have to be able to get money into the hands of people who need it as quickly as possible,” said Horwath.

“People are suffering, families are suffering, kids are suffering, households are suffering,” she said.

“It’s really unfortunate you have folks who take advantage of this situation for their own private financial benefit … it’s really sad and it’s pretty disgraceful.”

But Horwath said the government, which unveiled a record $187 billion budget earlier this month, must keep on top of where money is flowing.

“At the same time you do want to have some sense of accountability,” she said.

Liberal house Leader John Fraser said “it’s something the auditor general should be looking at.”

“When you’re implementing a program so quickly, your risk goes up considerably. So the government needs to have those measures in place,” said Fraser.

“Obviously, this was caught. Fraud does happen,” he said.

Green Leader Mike Schreiner said with unprecedented spending comes the need for increased oversight.

“Whenever government is responding this quickly, there’s always a concern around fraud. Clearly, we need to have the mechanisms in place,” said Schreiner.

“It’s good that this person allegedly has been caught and action has been taken,” he said.

OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt has said police “will not comment further to protect the integrity of the investigation.”

“As this is a criminal investigation, we will not speculate as to the likelihood of charges,” said Schmidt.

Attorney General Doug Downey’s office has emphasized that “any abuse of taxpayers dollars is totally unacceptable.”

Phillips, who renewed the popular program in , told the on Friday that “we’re spending historic amounts of money and we need to be very vigilant that dollars are getting to people.”

While the finance minister could not speak to this specific case because it’s before the courts, he noted “it always disappointing when people take advantage of a situation that is meant to help people in a very difficult time.”

Robert Benzie is the Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter:

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Rise in COVID-19 cases in First Nations communities a concern

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In the last few weeks, Indigenous communities have been facing an alarming rise in the number of new and active COVID-19 cases. In the last month alone, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) was made aware of over 200 new cases in First Nations communities. In the same timeframe, the number of active cases went from 23 to 129 cases. Last week, 68 new cases were reported. This surpasses the previous high of 57 new cases reported during the week of April 19-25. This recent increase in cases has been linked to private gatherings, as well as exposure to positive cases from outside of communities.

As of October 1, ISC is reporting First Nation COVID-19 stats as: 689 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19, 58 hospitalizations, 111 active cases, 566 recovered cases and 12 deaths.

There are a total of 21 confirmed positive cases in Nunavik, Quebec, and all but 3 have recovered. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, everyone has come together, made sacrifices, and done their part to help limit the spread of the virus. After many months of staying home, some may be experiencing pandemic fatigue. This can result in less vigilance when it comes to important practices, like limiting non-essential trips or maintaining physical distancing from those outside our social bubble. While these changes are hard, we must continue to be careful and listen to the advice of our public health experts. We cannot stop until we are all safe. We must remain vigilant. The threat of this virus is not yet behind us,” the release from Indigenous Services Canada said. They recommend everyone familiarize themselves with the recommended public health guidelines outlined by their province or territory of residence, and/or by their community Leadership.

“It is important to underscore that COVID 19 can take up to 14 days after exposure to the virus for symptoms to appear. During this time, the virus can easily spread to others. This means that decisions made today affect families, friends and communities for weeks to come,” the release said. Because of these growing numbers, preventative measures that help stop the spread are of upmost importance. First, limit your physical contact with others. A good rule of thumb is to limit your social circle to your household members and any essential supports, like childcare help. Every person that we come into contact with increases the chances of transmission. All efforts to reduce encounters with others make a difference. Remember to not to let your guard down when in public, even if you see someone you know. “Additionally, it’s critical to consistently wear a mask or face covering properly when in public or around those at risk, especially when it is hard to maintain a physical distance. Without knowing, anyone can spread COVID-19 by coughing or sneezing, talking, hugging, or even singing. When you wear a mask that covers your mouth and nose, you’re helping to protect yourself and those around you.” As the weather gets colder, we are going to begin facing colds and the seasonal flu. It can be difficult to distinguish between the symptoms of a cold, influenza, and COVID-19. However, the preventative measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are also effective at limiting the spread of influenza. The annual flu vaccine is the most effective way to prevent the flu and flu-related complications. The trend in new cases of COVID-19 we are seeing in Indigenous communities is similar to the one seen in the general population and everyone is urged to help change the trend by making wise decisions, and following recommended public health measures.

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‘Our numbers have tripled’: How many flu shot doses have been distributed throughout Simcoe-Muskoka this fall?

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Dr. Steven Poirier is getting tired of turning away his patients.

The Barrie family physician says his office has only been able to secure about 300 regular and 60 high-dosage shots of the influenza vaccine this year, not nearly enough to help his patient list — which includes about 800 seniors.

A high-dosage version of the vaccine is generally recommended for people over the age of 65, who are at greater risk of developing severe complications from the flu, he said.

“We’re getting a minimum amount and have to offer them on a first come, first serve basis to those who qualify,” said Poirier, who also spoke on behalf of the Ontario Medical Association.

“That’s not nearly enough, especially when the message across the province is to push the flu vaccine as much as you can. That message has resonated with our population because they’ve been calling and coming into the office, asking for the shot. Even those who have not gotten it in the past are coming out of the woodwork.”

He said his office has been told it can’t order more doses of either version for the foreseeable future.

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit says about 240,000 doses of the vaccine — including 30,000 high-dose shots — have been distributed throughout its jurisdiction this fall. That’s more than triple the normal amount.

These doses are typically doled out to pharmacies, family practices and vaccination clinics.

“Our numbers have tripled,” health unit immunization program manager Deanna Thompson said. “Locally, we’ve received over our allocation that we normally get and we’ve almost exhausted it. We’ve asked for more every week. The (Ontario government) is aware of the local shortage; we’re getting trickles of doses. But we’ve worked really hard with local family health teams that are running larger community clinics to ensure they have enough of the vaccine to be running mass immunization.”

The increased demand may be due to a campaign by the province and local health units, which urges residents to get the flu shot to lower their risk of illness during the COVID-19 pandemic. While Ontario did order more doses than normal during spring procurement, it may not have anticipated such high interest, she said.

“More people want the vaccine this year than any other,” Thompson said. “Is it related to the COVID pandemic? Probably.”

Poirier has run a practice in Barrie for the last five years; this is its most difficult period.

“(We’re) trying to navigate a pandemic and care for patients who should be getting care but are afraid to because of the pandemic,” he said. “Now, with influenza and cold season upon us, it’s very difficult to decide if it’s COVID, the flu, a cold or bacterial pneumonia. It’s really starting to take its toll.”

If you still need a shot in the arm, call a pharmacy — most have easier access than family doctors to the vaccine and can squeeze you in within a week or two. Once the appointment is booked, “be patient,” Thompson said.

“This is the normal time you would get vaccinated.”

For more information on local flu shot clinics, visit .

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OPP discover massive marijuana grow-op in Midland

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The Southern Georgian Bay OPP busted a massive cannabis grow operation in Midland on Sept. 28.

Officers received a call from a concerned citizen who observed suspicious activity at an industrial building on Highway 12. Local officers, along with members of the OPP’s organized crime enforcement unit, executed a search warrant at 16567 Highway 12 at around 6 p.m. Monday.

“They discovered a substantial grow operation of cannabis plants. Over 10,000 cannabis plants were located,” said OPP Const. Aaron Coulter of the Southern Georgian Bay OPP.

Officers discovered what appeared to be a professional, high-quality grow-op in the process of growing more than 10,000 plants in various stages of development. Police believe that a harvest of the plants had not been completed or that any distribution had taken place.

“The investigation is continuing in terms of who owns the building and whether the owners were aware of what was occurring inside,” said Coulter.

The commercial building at 16567 Highway 12 sits across from Weber Manufacturing. Forte EPS Solutions Inc, an expanded polystyrene manufacturer, was the last to operate out of the facility. At the time of the search warrant being executed the building was vacant.

“It was a Styrofoam factory but it has been out of use for roughly a year,” said Coulter. “It appears as though a grow operation was installed sometime recently and production had begun.”

The 84,000-square-foot building, which sits on 6.36-acres adjacent Highway 12, was also once home to Bruin Engineered Parts until the company closed up shop in 2007.

Century 21 has the building and property currently listed for $4.9 million.

Although cannabis is legal in Canada, there are still strict limits on the quantity one can possess and grow. Individual adults are allowed to possess up to 30 grams of legal cannabis and can grow up to four plants per residence for personal use. Anything more requires a federal license.

“Marijuana is available legally now. When you purchase it through legal means you can have confidence in what the ingredients are. Otherwise you can’t have that confidence in the quality or THC levels,” said Coulter. “If you are choosing to purchase marijuana we encourage you to do so through the proper channels.”

All of the cannabis plants were removed from the building and destroyed after samples were taken.

Anyone with information about this grow operation is asked to contact the Southern Georgian Bay OPP at or .

CORRECTION – Sept. 30, 2020. This story has been edited from a previous version. Fort EPS Solutions Inc. no longer operates out of the facility. At the time of the search warrant being executed, the building was vacant.

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Toronto Catholic students hoping to switch to online classes need to wait until at least Oct. 31

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Toronto Catholic District School Board from in-person to online classes are out of luck for at least the rest of the month as administrators scramble to hire enough teachers to meet the demand for virtual learning.

Toronto’s second biggest school board has paused any transfers out of the classroom until it can make sure there are enough teachers to accommodate students in both streams. There is a chance that students in the TCDSB’s 163 elementary schools may be able to make the switch from in-class to at-home on Oct. 31, but the situation is evolving.

“This does not mean that students will never be able to change,” according to an emailed statement from Shazia Vlahos, the board’s head of communications. “But we do need to ensure classrooms are stable before allowing any additional transfers.”

Until Monday, some students in the virtual stream were still without a teacher. While teachers have now been assigned to all 25,000 students learning remotely, according to the TCDSB, it may take a day or so for them to make contact with families.

There are 90,000 students currently taking in-person classes.

With the increased demand on schools to provide both in-person and virtual streams of learning, staffing has been very tight. School boards across the province are struggling with the manpower challenge and are competing to hire from the pool of qualified teachers.

The Catholic board did not provide the number of students who have indicated they would like to switch to remote learning, saying it does not yet have the full picture.

Students wishing to switch in the other direction, from online to in-person classes, however, can do so more easily, by getting in touch with the principal at their school. There’s no guarantee they’ll able to switch right away, but there is more leeway, the spokesperson said.

“Re-entry into in-class learning is dependent on appropriate timing in relation to the achievement cycle and class enrollment numbers. For elementary, re-entry could be November, February or April,” the statement said.

Students at the board’s 20 secondary schools will not be able to switch at all until the end of November, according to the statement emailed to the Star. Because the quadmesters are so short, it does not make sense to switch until they are finished. According to the statement, “all secondary student transfers to and from virtual learning will be placed on a local waitlist until then.”

The Toronto District School Board is set to make its first swap, in both directions, Oct. 13 and there is no word on whether it may delay for staffing or other reasons, including a potentially increased risk of virus transmission in the community. The board is expecting 3,000 students to move from online to in-person classes. About 7,500 students are moving from in-person to online.

“Staff have been working closely with Toronto Public Health on all health and safety strategies including through the establishment of new cohorts,” according to the TDSB. “Enhanced cleaning of classrooms will be conducted between any change in cohorts.”

While more than 94 per cent of TDSB students — 56,000 — had been assigned a teacher since virtual school began Sept. 22, as of Friday, 6 per cent were still waiting.

“We know how disappointing this has been,” a virtual school update on the TDSB website said. “We are sorry that it has taken so long to get students set up in a classroom with a teacher and are doing everything possible to continue to place teachers so that learning can begin.”

According to a presentation to school board trustees sent to the Star by the TDSB, students new to virtual school or with a teacher who is new to it will work independently for the first day or two of the transition.

Michele Henry is a Toronto-based investigative reporter for the Star. Follow her on Twitter:

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No move to ban private gatherings in Toronto to offset risk from restaurants, gyms reopening

Toronto is not planning to join Peel’s public health chief in calling for a ban on private social gatherings that mix different households.

On Wednesday, Dr. Lawrence Loh, Peel’s medical officer of health, strongly recommended a halt to get-togethers with people from different households, Mississauga News’s .

“If we are going to reopen high-risk settings like restaurants and gymnasiums, we need to have a counterbalance on some of the other drivers of transmission in our community,” Loh told Mississauga city council.

A provincial order that closed indoor dining and gyms in Peel and York regions and Ottawa expires Saturday. Dealing with high new COVID-19 infections and the need for a reopening plan, Toronto got its order extended to Nov. 14.

Provincial anti-virus rules limit gatherings to 10 people for a private party, such as a house party, and 25 for outdoor events.

Since infections started to surge in September, Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s public health chief, has strongly recommended people gather indoors only with fellow household members. However, it is not a binding order.

Loh told Mississauga council that he knows a ban on household mixing would impact families in a traditional gathering time that includes Diwali, Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa.

“I know it’s challenging, especially with the holiday season coming up, but the reality is that one of the most significant drivers of transmission in our region is people getting together and socializing at home,” said Loh.

Loh also wants all wedding receptions banned until Feb. 1, 2021 and a 50-person cap on indoor religious services.

His call for tough measures comes as with much of the spread in Brampton.

Mississauga council did not vote on Loh’s recommendation after a legal official said new anti-virus measures are best considered by the regional council that next meets Nov. 12.

Toronto Mayor John Tory was asked Thursday if he has contemplated calling for his city to outlaw social gatherings that mix different households.

“What has been discussed for months is the contribution that gatherings of any kind have had to virus spread — that it’s not the place but the behaviour that encourages spread,” Tory said.

“That’s why we’ve advised people to only socialize with people in their own households, to ensure that when people gather they do so safely.

“I will tell you that there has been no proposal brought to me … that we should be advocating for limits on social gatherings. But we have repeatedly given very specific advice about that, first and foremost, ‘Do not socialize at this point in time with people you don’t live with.’”

Ontario on Thursday reported Ontario 998 new cases of COVID-19 including 350 in Toronto, 269 in Peel and 71 in York Region.

Ontario’s seven-day average is up to a record 982 cases per day. The seven-day average for deaths is 11 per day, the highest point in the virus’s resurgence that started after Stage 3 lockdown measures ended in late July.

On Wednesday, de Villa said Toronto, in preparation for the restart of indoor dining and gym visits, is resuming tracing of the contacts of everyone infected, not just those in high-risk settings.

Tory has suggested the businesses will reopen with restrictions, possibly new table limits and early closing for bars and restaurants, and no group classes for gyms.

De Villa said that if Toronto infections continue to rise, or she is concerned by other indicators, she will not hestitate to ask for additional time or safeguards or “whatever is necessary in order to keep the people of Toronto as safe as possible.”

David Rider is the Star’s City Hall bureau chief and a reporter covering city hall and municipal politics. Follow him on Twitter:

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Today’s coronavirus news: The FDA grants emergency authorization for the experimental antibody treatment given to President Donald Trump; The U.S. surpasses 12 million coronavirus cases; Ontario sets

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The latest news from Canada and around the world Saturday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available.

8:59 p.m.: Duke University is sometimes referred to as a pretty good knock-off of fancier schools farther north. But while those ivy-clad universities with smart students, prestigious medical schools and big endowments stayed closed this fall, Duke invited its freshmen, sophomores, some upperclassmen and all of its graduate students to its Durham, North Carolina, campus for largely in-person classes.

Now, it’s schooling those sniffier schools on how to reopen safely.

Starting Aug. 2 and continuing up to this week, when the Duke campus made a pre-planned reversion to online classes for the remainder of the semester, the university implemented a rigorous testing, tracking and surveillance program for more than 10,000 students. And it has carried out, on a grand scale, an innovative scheme — called pooled testing — that can stretch limited testing resources without forfeiting accuracy or resolution.

For Duke’s returning students, the result has been a relatively safe and almost normal return to learning, at a time when other colleges and universities either shuttered their campuses or ignited community outbreaks as they reopened with scant measures in place to detect or isolate infected students.

8:57 p.m.: The Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency authorization for the experimental antibody treatment given to President Donald Trump shortly after he was diagnosed with COVID-19, giving doctors another option to treat COVID-19 patients as cases across the country continue to rise.

The treatment, made by the biotech company Regeneron, is a cocktail of two powerful antibodies that have shown promise in early studies at keeping the infection in check, reducing medical visits in patients who get the drug early in the course of their disease. A similar treatment, made by Eli Lilly, was given emergency approval earlier this month.

The emergency authorization for Regeneron’s drug is limited in scope: It is for people who have tested positive for the coronavirus and who are at high risk for developing severe COVID-19. Evidence so far suggests that antibody treatments work best early in the course of the disease. Like Eli Lilly’s treatment, Regeneron’s is not authorized for use in people who are hospitalized or who need oxygen.

The emergency authorization raises questions about who will get access to the treatments as an average of more than 168,000 people are diagnosed each day with COVID-19 in the United States and hospitals are running out of beds. Regeneron has said it will have enough of the drug for only about 80,000 people by the end of November, enough for 200,000 patients by the first week of January, and 300,000 by the end of January. After that, the company said, it will be able to ramp up production thanks to a partnership with Swiss manufacturer Roche.

7:52 p.m.: Four provinces reported new highs for daily COVID-19 infections on Saturday as the virus continued its siege on some of the country’s most vulnerable areas.

Health officials in New Brunswick, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta all reported new single-day peaks in diagnoses, recording 23, 1,588, 439 and 1,336 new cases respectively, as the nation’s top doctor sounded the alarm yet again.

“More and larger outbreaks are occurring in long term care homes, congregate living settings and hospitals, and spreading in Indigenous communities,” Dr. Theresa Tam said in a written statement.

“These developments are deeply concerning as they put countless Canadians at risk of life-threatening illness, cause serious disruptions to health services and present significant challenges for areas not adequately equipped to manage complex medical emergencies.”

7:31 p.m.: Housing Secretary Ben Carson is crediting unapproved, experimental treatments with saving his life after he became “desperately ill” following his infection with the coronavirus.

There is no medical evidence that the treatments Carson cited worked.

A retired neurosurgeon, Carson said Friday that he believes he’s now “out of the woods.” He disclosed that his wife, Candy, also had COVID-19, the disease the coronavirus causes. Carson tested positive earlier this month.

Most people recover from the disease, which has killed more than 250,000 Americans and sickened more than 12 million, including President Donald Trump and members of his family.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Carson said he was “extremely sick” but saw “dramatic improvement” after taking a botanical treatment derived from the oleander plant. Carson said he has underlying conditions, which he did not specify, “and after a brief period when I only experienced minor discomfort, the symptoms accelerated and I became desperately ill.”

Carson said Trump was aware of his condition and “cleared me for the monoclonal antibody therapy that he had previously received, which I am convinced saved my life.”

The White House declined comment Saturday, instead referring questions about possible intervention into Carson’s medical care by Trump to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD also declined to comment.

“I do believe I am out of the woods at this point,” said the secretary, who gave credit to Trump, the White House medical team and doctors at the Walter Reed military hospital.

6:45 p.m.: New York recorded a seven-month statewide high of 5,972 new coronavirus cases as numbers continue to soar in hotspots and upstate, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday.

The shocking state caseload recorded Friday was the most for a single day since late April, when the city and metro area was still reeling from the deadly first wave of the pandemic.

“We are in no way immune to the problems we are seeing elsewhere and we are entering a very dangerous period with the cold weather and holidays approaching,” Cuomo said.

The avalanche of new cases came as the state recorded a new all-time record 207,000 coronavirus tests, of which 2.87 per cent were positive.

Thirty-four New Yorkers died Friday of coronavirus.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said coronavirus is continuing to spread in the city as cases rose again Saturday and the number of new hospitalizations jumped.

The city recorded 1,345 COVID-19 cases, up a bit from the previous day. New hospitalizations also rose to 118, up 15 per cent in just a day.

The rolling seven-day average positive test rate was 3.11 per cent, also up a hair and above the city’s self-proclaimed benchmark for closing city public schools.

“This weekend is critical to fighting back,” de Blasio tweeted.

6:15 p.m.: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has escalated its warning for cruise travel to the highest level and continued to recommend avoiding any trips on cruise ships worldwide.

The agency raised its warning to Level 4 from Level 3, citing “very high” risk of COVID-19 on cruise ships. Passengers are at increased risk of person-to-person spread of COVID-19 and should get tested and stay home for at least seven days after travel, according to its website.

“For most travelers, cruise ship travel is voluntary and should be rescheduled for a future date,” the CDC said.

The agency just last month provided a framework for cruise lines to plan for resuming operations. Under that order, passenger operations aren’t allowed during initial phases, and every ship must be certified by the CDC before travelers can board.

The eight-month shutdown has been catastrophic for the cruise line industry and its three biggest operators, Carnival Corp., Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. Earlier this month, Carnival canceled additional trips as it works to meet CDC requirements, pausing U.S. operations through Jan. 31.

6:14 p.m.: Coronavirus cases are rising in almost every U.S. state. But the surge is worst now in places where leaders neglected to keep up forceful virus containment efforts or failed to implement basic measures like mask mandates in the first place, according to a New York Times analysis of data from the University of Oxford.

Outbreaks are comparatively smaller in states where efforts to contain the virus were stronger over the summer and fall.

The index comes from Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government, where researchers track the policies — or lack thereof — governments use to contain the virus and protect residents, such as contact tracing, mask mandates and restrictions on businesses and gatherings. Researchers aggregate those indicators and assign a number from 0 to 100 to each government’s total response.

At its highest level of containment efforts, New York state scored an 80 on the index. At the beginning of November, most states were scoring in the 40s and 50s.

Many states in the Upper Midwest and Mountain West resisted more stringent control measures, like limits on gatherings and mask mandates. North Dakota, for example, made few efforts to contain the virus. After briefly ramping up restrictions — closing bars, restaurants, gyms, theaters and schools — in March, when most other states did, Gov. Doug Burgum reopened the state nearly fully in May. Now nearly 1 in 10 North Dakotans have tested positive — about one-third of those in the past two weeks — and 1 in 1,000 have died of the virus.

One of the biggest problems in the United States so far has been the lack of a coherent, cohesive national response, said Wafaa El-Sadr, a public health researcher at Columbia University. Without strong national guidance, states’ containment policies have varied widely. Since the spring, Maine mandated masks and had strict travel restrictions for out-of-state visitors; South Dakota, meanwhile, has never had a mask mandate and welcomed nearly a half-million people to the Sturgis motorcycle rally as well as its state fair, which attracted more than 100,000 visitors.

6:13 p.m.: Michigan now has more than 300,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

That is just fifteen days after surpassing 200,000 cases on Nov. 6.

Michigan first reached over 50,000 confirmed cases on May 15. In the late summer, Michigan reached over 100,000 confirmed cases. Six deaths were reported that Friday, Aug. 28.

Then, on Nov. 6 and shortly after Election Day, Michigan surpassed 200,000 cases. There were 43 deaths reported.

Now, during the second large surge of cases and just fifteen days later, the state reached 300,000 cases.

Michigan reported 101 new deaths from COVID-19 and 7,528 new positive cases for the coronavirus, according to Saturday’s update from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Fifty-nine of the 101 deaths were found later in a regular records review to see if a COVID-19 infection contributed to one’s death.

The state now has 8,478 confirmed deaths and 302,705 confirmed cases since March.

Nationally, Michigan has the sixth highest number of COVID-19 cases, ranking fifth for COVID-19 deaths and tenth for COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to a Nov. 18 from MDHHS.

The state had a positivity rate of 11.30per cent Friday, reporting that 10,007 out of 88,526 diagnostic test results returned were positive.

Michigan has a fatality rate of 2.8per cent among known cases.

6:12 p.m.: Florida on Saturday added 8,410 new cases of COVID-19 to its pandemic tally, ending its worst week for infections since Aug. 1.

Department of Health records show 56,732 people tested positive for the virus over the past week, continuing a monthlong trend.

Florida’s surge is part of a nationwide wave that on Friday hit a pandemic record of 195,542 new cases across the country, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The state experienced a 49.2per cent increase over the 38,019 cases from the previous week. Two weeks ago, Florida had 34,530 people with new infections.

This week marks the most new cases for the state since the week ending Aug. 1. But it’s still below the weekly record of 83,058 cases set July 18.

The big question is, what comes next? Public health experts are warning of increasing cases and deaths across the nation as fall turns into winter.

6:11 p.m.: The Group of 20 summit opened on Saturday with appeals by the world’s most powerful leaders to collectively chart a way forward as the coronavirus pandemic overshadows this year’s gathering, transforming it from in-person meetings to a virtual gathering of speeches and declarations.

In a sign of the times, the traditional “family photo” of leaders in the summit was digitally designed and superimposed on a historical site just outside the Saudi capital, Riyadh, which would have hosted the gathering. The kingdom has presided over the G-20 this year.

“We have a duty to rise to the challenge together during this summit and give a strong message of hope and reassurance,” Saudi Arabia’s King Salman said in the summit’s opening remarks.

While G-20 countries have contributed billions of dollars toward developing a vaccine for the virus, they have also mostly focused on securing their own vaccine supplies. Countries such as Britain, the U.S., France and Germany — all G-20 member states — have directly negotiated deals with pharmaceutical companies to receive billions of doses, meaning that the vast majority of the world’s vaccine supply next year is already reserved.

6:10 p.m.: More than 12 million people in the U.S have contracted the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.

The nation’s total number of confirmed cases reached 12.01 million on Saturday, six days after the number had reached 11 million, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Daily numbers of new U.S. cases are approaching 200,000, less than three weeks after hitting 100,000 for the first time. The record of 195,542 new cases on Friday was the latest of several recent daily highs.

Deaths rates are getting closer to the dire numbers seen in the spring. The U.S. daily death toll exceeded 2,000 on Thursday, the first time since early May. On Friday, 1,878 deaths were reported.

The U.S. leads the world with more than 255,000 dead.

6:09 p.m.: As coronavirus cases surge globally, the COVID-19 deaths of two senior Serbian Orthodox Church clerics — one who died weeks after presiding over the funeral of the other — are raising questions about whether some religious institutions are doing enough to slow the spread of the virus.

More reports are emerging about people who attended religious services and contract the virus — some after parishioners seemed to ignore the pleas of church and health officials officials to wear masks, practice social distancing and other steps to combat the virus that’s killed nearly 1.4 million people worldwide.

In Belgrade, many mourners paying their respects Saturday to Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Irinej ignored precautions and some kissed the glass shield covering the patriarch’s body, despite warnings not to do so from Serbia’s epidemiologists.

That scene unfolded three weeks after the 90-year-old Irinej led prayers at the funeral of Bishop Amfilohije in nearby Montenegro, an event attended by thousands where many kissed the bishop’s remains in an open casket.

The highly publicized episodes happened as Serbia reported thousands of newly confirmed infections daily in the country of seven million and as the government in recent days has tightened measures to hold off the virus. As the country’s health system strains to treat more and more people for the virus, some patients in Belgrade hospitals with less serious conditions are being transferred to hospitals elsewhere.

Those same kinds of tough decisions and terrible predicaments are playing out all across the United States.

4:48 p.m.: At least three provinces have reported new highs for daily COVID-19 infections a day after the federal government’ urged Canadians to be more proactive in helping to bring the surging virus back under control.

Health officials in New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan all reported new single-day peaks in new diagnoses today.

New Brunswick recorded 23 new cases over the past 24 hours, Saskatchewan logged

439, and Ontario reported 1,588.

Case numbers climbed noticeably in three of Canada’s four Atlantic provinces, marking a sharp departure from recent trends which have seen infection counts stay relatively low.

The acceleration of the virus also continued in Nunavut, which saw 25 new cases today.

The surging numbers come a day after new federal modeling showed daily tallies could reach 20,000 nationwide if Canadians don’t drastically limit their contacts in a bid to stop transmission of COVID-19.

4:47 p.m.: Manitoba’s governing Progressive Conservatives defended their response to the COVID-19 pandemic Saturday, while also asking for priority access to rapid test equipment because the province’s numbers are so high.

“The second wave is upon us. Every province west of Nova Scotia has its highest numbers in the last few days, including Manitoba,” Premier Brian Pallister told delegates via video conference at the party’s annual general meeting. The meeting was a virtual one in order to abide by health orders that forbid large gatherings.

“Trying to make the political argument that Manitoba’s government missed the boat when everybody in the western world is under attack right now is not a fruitful thing — even if it was right, and it isn’t.”

During his 45-minute speech, Pallister pointed to the recent expansion of intensive care capacity, the tripling of COVID-19 daily tests since the spring, and the hiring of more workers to do contact-tracing of people who test positive.

“I don’t love COVID, but I love the opportunity that we have to prove that under fire, we are focused … on doing the absolute best we can to get the best possible outcome.”

A few hours later, Health Minister Cameron Friesen also cited investments the province has made to fight the novel coronavirus. But he also said the health-care system is being strained, and Manitoba should be given priority from the federal government for new testing equipment.

4:46 p.m.: Saskatchewan set another record for new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, Nov. 21, with 439 new cases reported.

The number of people in hospital has climbed to 91, from 85 the day before. New recoveries came in at 41. The 7-day average is now 203 new cases per day, a measurement the Ministry of Health said it would now be reporting.

On Nov. 8, that 7-day average was 97.6, meaning the average had doubled in 13 days, after having doubled from 45.7 in 16 days.

As of Nov. 21, 2,537 cases are considered active, 3,667 people have recovered and 33 deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported.

This is the first time in the last two months Saskatchewan has exceeded Manitoba for new cases in one day.

On the same day, Manitoba reported 385 new cases and 10 deaths. Manitoba’s 7-day average for new cases is now 407.4, which has remained relatively flat for the last nine days, between 390.0 and 407. 4 average cases per day.

North Dakota reported 1,526 new cases, and 16 more deaths. Its 7-day average is now 1,244.3, the lowest point it has been since Nov. 4. On Nov. 18, North Dakota’s 7-day average peaked at 1,415.7 cases per day.

Premier Scott Moe reacted in a Facebook post, saying, “Today’s record new case numbers are very concerning. Our seven-day average for new cases is now 203, which is the highest it has ever been.

“While it’s too soon for the new measures implemented last week to have made an impact, we are continuing to evaluate the situation closely and will consider further measures. Our government is working closely with Dr. (Saqib) Shahab and public health officials and will have more to say early next week.

“For now, let’s all do our part to keep ourselves and those around us safe. Reduce your number of contacts and your activity outside the home. If you do go out, wear a mask, which is now required in all indoor public places everywhere in Saskatchewan. Physically distance, wash your hands often, stay home when you can. We can keep ourselves and those around us safe and reduce the spread of COVID-19 by taking these steps,” he concluded.

3:45 p.m.: California enacts a nighttime curfew Saturday as spiking coronavirus cases threaten to swamp health-care systems and the state’s largest county warned that an even more drastic lockdown could be imminent.

The newest restrictions require people not on essential errands to stay home from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Dec. 21, with a possible extension if rapidly worsening trends don’t improve. People will be allowed to shop for groceries, pick up food and even walk their dogs.

Authorities say the focus is on keeping people from social mixing and drinking — the kinds of activities that are blamed for causing COVID-19 infections to soar after dipping only a few months ago.

The curfew applies to 41 of the state’s 58 counties that are in the “purple” tier, the most restrictive of four state tiers allowing various stages of economic reopening. Those counties encompass 94 per cent of the nearly 40 million people living in the most populous U.S. state. California as a whole has seen more than 1 million infections, with a record of almost 15,500 new cases reported Friday.

2:36 p.m.: York Region Public Health issued a notice on Friday that six COVID-19 cases were connected to fitness classes held at Aurora Fit Body Boot Camp on 255 Industrial Parkway South.

“Individuals later confirmed to be COVID-19 positive attended fitness classes at this facility between Monday, November 9, 2020 and Saturday, November 14, 2020 between 5:45 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. each day,” read the notice.

Each class has a maximum of 8 individuals and the fitness facility has been following COVID-19 protocols, according to the notice. But during fitness classes, face coverings and masks aren’t worn by participants.

Anyone who attended any fitness classes at this location are advised to self-monitor until Nov. 29.

1:20 p.m.: Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting five new cases of COVID-19. One is a man in his 70s who is a tenant of a retirement home in the small town of Grand Bank, on the Burin Peninsula. Officials say there is now a cluster of six cases in Grand Bank, and all are connected. Newfoundland and Labrador now has 18 active cases of COVID-19 with one person in hospital.

1 p.m.: New Brunswick is reporting 23 new cases of COVID-19, the highest single-day jump in cases since the onset of the pandemic in March. Health officials say 16 of the new cases are in the Saint John region, six are in the Moncton region and one is in the Fredericton area. Both the Moncton and Saint John regions are under “orange” level public health restrictions under the province’s COVID-19 response plan. The province now has 71 active cases, with one person in hospital.

12:47 p.m.: Nova Scotia is reporting eight new cases of COVID-19, six of which are under investigation for their origin.

Public health officials say all of the latest cases are in the central zone of the province.

Officials say two cases are connected to previously identified diagnoses, but have not determined the origins of the other six.

Dr. Robert Strang, the province’s chief medical officer of health, says Saturday’s numbers show Nova Scotia’s biggest jump in cases in recent months. The number of active cases provincewide now stands at 33.

As of Monday, residents of Halifax and parts of Hants County will be asked to limit social gatherings to five people.

12:04 p.m.: As the coronavirus surges to record levels in Nevada, the governor has implored residents to stay home. But Democrat Steve Sisolak has also encouraged out-of-state visitors, the lifeblood of Nevada’s limping economy, to come to his state and spend money in Las Vegas.

The pandemic has put officials in this tourism-dependent place in a double-bind: trying to protect the economy while keeping people safe.

With the state seeing a record number of new cases, Sisolak said he’s on the brink of imposing new restrictions, but he’s walking a tightrope.

“I don’t want to shut down the entire economy if I can at all avoid it,” Sisolak told reporters on a phone call Wednesday. “We can keep everybody safe and accomplish both ends.”

Nevada’s tourism and hospitality industry has an estimated $67.6 billion economic impact, employing more workers and bringing in more state tax revenue than any other sector. Right now, it’s hurting and Nevada is facing a nearly 13per cent unemployment rate — the second highest in the U.S. behind Hawaii.

12 p.m.: It has been just over two weeks since Nunavut declared its first case of COVID-19, but it’s still unknown how 84 people were infected so quickly in the territory.

Nunavut is home to about 39,000 people. Its 25 fly-in only communities are spread over three time zones.

Arviat, on the western shore of Hudson Bay where about 2,800 people live, had 58 cases as of Friday. Dr. Michael Patterson, the territory’s chief public health officer, says it’s the only place where there’s evidence of transmission from household to household within the community.

There are also 13 cases in nearby Rankin Inlet, 11 in Whale Cove and two in Sanikiluaq. But those cases are all within the same households.

12:01 p.m.: Despite recent optimism over reported results from COVID-19 vaccine trials, virologists say there is still a long way from lab bench to bedside.

“You would think by this stage of the pandemic we would be leery and skeptical of science by press release,” said Ross Upshur of the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

“The data that has been released was interim data,” said Alyson Kelvin of Dalhousie University. “The trials are still going on.”

Two companies, Pfizer and Moderna, have recently announced they’re developed COVID-19 vaccines that are 95 per cent effective. The news has juiced stock markets, induced politicians to call for expedited use and blown a breath of optimism to a world weary of masks and self-isolation.

11:45 a.m.: The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 11:42 a.m. EST on Nov. 21, 2020:

There are 323,496 confirmed cases in Canada.

_ Quebec: 130,888 confirmed (including 6,806 deaths, 112,734 resolved)

_ Ontario: 102,378 confirmed (including 3,472 deaths, 86,079 resolved)

_ Alberta: 43,952 confirmed (including 462 deaths, 32,835 resolved)

_ British Columbia: 25,474 confirmed (including 331 deaths, 17,477 resolved)

_ Manitoba: 12,919 confirmed (including 207 deaths, 4,851 resolved)

_ Saskatchewan: 5,804 confirmed (including 33 deaths, 3,626 resolved)

_ Nova Scotia: 1,160 confirmed (including 65 deaths, 1,067 resolved)

_ New Brunswick: 401 confirmed (including 6 deaths, 343 resolved)

_ Newfoundland and Labrador: 311 confirmed (including 4 deaths, 294 resolved)

_ Nunavut: 84 confirmed

_ Prince Edward Island: 68 confirmed (including 64 resolved)

_ Yukon: 29 confirmed (including 1 death, 22 resolved)

_ Northwest Territories: 15 confirmed (including 10 resolved)

_ Repatriated Canadians: 13 confirmed (including 13 resolved)

_ Total: 323,496 (0 presumptive, 323,496 confirmed including 11,387 deaths, 259,415 resolved)

11:05 a.m.: Quebec is reporting 1,189 new cases of COVID-19 today and 32 additional deaths linked to the novel coronavirus. Public health authorities say five of those deaths occurred within the past 24 hours, with the rest taking place at an earlier date. The Health Department says there are currently 646 people in hospital, an increase of 22 from the previous day.

Of those, 99 people are currently in intensive care, an increase of three from yesterday.

10:57 a.m: The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 10:52 a.m. EST on Nov. 21, 2020:

There are 322,307 confirmed cases in Canada.

_ Quebec: 129,699 confirmed (including 6,774 deaths, 111,326 resolved)