COVID-19 Update for April 28, 2020 – 1:10pm
Today, federal health officials released updated national projections on the scope and spread of COVID-19 in Canada. The announcement came shortly after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s update this morning that emphasised the need for a careful, coordinated and methodical framework for re-opening the economy. We may have flattened the COVID-19 curve, but “we are not out of the woods yet,” noted Trudeau.
Pandemic Projections
According to the forecasting model released by public health officials today, Canada is currently on track to hit between 53,196 and 66,835 cases and between 3,277 and 3,883 deaths by May 5th. And depending on the containment efforts, it is expected that between 4,000 and 355,000 people in Canada could die from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic
The case spread has levelled off in many provinces. However, cases in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta (which constitute majority of infections) are driving the current epidemic growth upwards across the country. Compared to other countries, Canada’s epidemic growth has been slower, with the number of new cases doubling every 16 days — a much more promising trend compared to three weeks ago when it was doubling every three to five days.
To date, there are 49,040 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Canada, with 18,000 cases recovered and 2,769 confirmed deaths across the country.
You can see Canada’s detailed projections here.
The officials concluded the remarks by emphasising that given the current reality, only a small proportion of population will be immune, and until a vaccine in place, “we have to plan to live with a manageable level of COVID-19 activity.”
PPE and Face Shields
The Prime Minister also announced that the federal government has prepared six million surgical masks that will be shipped out to the provinces and territories this week, including 100,000 face shields which are currently being prepared by Bauer Inc. to be dispatched soon.
Re-Opening the Economy
Given that many provinces have begun to plan and execute the gradual loosening of restrictions to re-open businesses and the economy, the updated national picture of the pandemic exhibited by the latest projections will help inform the national guidelines Trudeau is working on with the premiers across the country. Trudeau said those shared principles on restarting the economy will be released “shortly.”
If you have any questions about this update, please let us know.
We hope you are finding these COVID-19 updates useful. In addition to trying to keep on top of the fast-changing situation, Enterprise is also working to support local charities during these challenging times. If you are able, your contributions to this effort would be deeply appreciated.
To donate, please click on the organization below:
- Toronto – Food Banks Canada
- Thunder Bay – Food Banks North West
- Hamilton/Niagara – Hamilton Food Share
- Alberta – Hope Mission
Many thanks.
Stay safe. Stay healthy.
The Enterprise Team