We Still Have a Government, Right?: Canadian Politics 2020

Yeah, good to announce it early enough.

We are seeking clarification on the details of the government’s plan.

Yeah, I'm curious about how this will work as well. It's a step in the right direction but idk how you would justify allowing someone to not pay rent at all and requiring someone who is slightly better off to pay their rent in full, or what grounds would be used to decide who gets away without paying. Either a simple freeze on rents/mortgages/property taxes or scaled income supports would seem to be simple and fair.

I'm guessing that station is Tory-leaning but this article also suggests a promising move: https://www.iheartradio.ca/newstalk-1010/news/disgusting-premier-announces-anti-price-gouging-order-1.11192211

This crisis may yet make a socialist out of Ford.

The explosion of American cases the past few days is stunning. It's so hard to compare us with them...where their testing is compared to ours, 1/10th the population, etc. If you look at the two daily bar graphs on worldometer, they're not the same, but they're not all that dissimilar.

anyone understand why they're militarizing the canada-US border?

I was joking with my wife yesterday about building a wall at the ON/NY border after the COVID explosion. The US sending troops to its border might actually be funnier.

I'm unclear on what the situation is. This, from 13h ago, says the troops are already there:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3hn9pEvQqw

This, from 11h ago, says the admin decided against it: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-us-wont-post-troops-at-canadian-border-ottawa-says-it-strongly/

Most daily cases yet. We've sort of stabilized within a range the past few days (600-700), but if you just stay there, that doesn't seem like flattening the curve.

There's talk of quarantining all of Montreal.

Nice.

http://www.blogto.com/real-estate-toronto/2020/03/toronto-apartment-company-puts-other-landlords-shame-incredible-covid-19-supports/

769 deaths today (so far). Definitely not flattening.

In Canada? It says 59 here: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection.html?topic=tilelink#a1 . Am I missing something?

Ugh, sorry--769 new cases, that's what I meant. The cases aren't flattening.

that was scary!

this story about the Alberta health minister is great stuff: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-minister-tyler-shandro-behaviour-vital-partners-1.5511288

I don’t think we can really expect it to flatten significantly until something like 3 weeks after most travellers returned because doubtless a ton didn’t isolate properly or are just going to get sick even in isolation, and will spike the stats. Probably will have a better idea a month from now. I’d guess there was also significant spread during the panic shopping phase, which seems to be easing, but that’s also a slowdown that’s going to take weeks to be seen in the stats.

Asked a friend about this a couple of days ago--it just disappeared from the news.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/sophie-trudeau-feeling-great-covid-19-1.5513731?fbclid=IwAR1ptDilNam95gsQUmDd2Gx5pGUP7gSVRWGFZhol510KnCyCakVgzCN-z9Y

Xp. The top doc here bonnie henry is far too sanguine and was talking about hoping new cases would start dropping in 10 to 14 days on wednesday. Really don't understand the rationale behind saying stuff like that when we've had issues with people not taking social distancing advice seriously

Interesting - Montreal police going to start fining people for not observing social distancing directives: https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1689514/coronavirus-montreal-police-policiers-spvm-covid-19-pandemie-bilan

A bit o_O that citizens will be encouraged to contact the police or call 911 if they observe a violation.

Oh, Vancouver is already doing this?

don’t think so

OK, it's limited to orders issued under the state of emergency, which means only one so far concerning bars and restaurants: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5508543

Re: Vancouver

Almost 3,500 confirmed cases in Quebec. It’s too early to tell, but it does seem as though Legault wasn’t decisive enough.

Henceforth even grocery stores will be closed on Sundays.

ON has one more death than QC, though. Maybe QC is testing more?

Oh, no, QC is ahead. The federal page is not up-to-date.

Based on the numbers Legault provided during today's press conference, death rate in Quebec is currently around 0.7% – may it remain so.

Given that Legault was acting more decisively than any other leader in the country, I think it's wishful thinking to imagine that he should have known to make even stronger choices.

I blame the snowbirds who ignored instructions, went to weddings, etc.

That's fair, I'm just confused as to why BC's curve seems so much less aggressive seeing as that's where it started in Canada.

Didn't realize that Ontario's cases were so starkly in contrast to the notion that those over 60 are most at risk.

              Number	 Pct.
19 and under	 42	 2.5
20-64	       1,319	77.3
65 and over	343	20.1

http://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus#section-0

I don't think those over 60 are more at risk of contracting the virus than any other age group? I think they are more at risk in the sense that the virus is more likely to be fatal for them? I could be wrong.

That's my understanding as well.

Could just be a reflection of misrepresentation in testing? I mean, they were only testing those who travelled for a long time and I’d suspect 20-64 forms the majority of that group.

All makes sense. I think I should just hire someone for the next few months to make sense of all the data and graphs I encounter.

That's one thing that really aggravates my spouse: the demographic that was most likely to be tested was not the one that was most likely to be killed by the virus. xp

I saw a couple of things today that indicated they're fining in Toronto now for not social-distancing. That's good--frightening, but good.

When I was just out for the evening walk, the same police car, moving slowly passed me twice--it was pretty clearly out there monitoring. The second time I waved. I guess you're okay--for now--if you're alone.

(St. Marys doesn't have its own police--used to, I believe, but now there are one or two Stratford cops who work out of the municipal building on the main street.)

If this every moves to a literal stay-at-home order, I've got a decent-sized backyard and will get by, but that'd be tough.

Quebec testing most aggressively but also most indiscriminately (i think still the only province with drive thru testing?)

takes a long time for the distancing measures to kick in but im p confident Quebec’s will soon

BC testing is more targeted and had limited community transmission for most of the early stage

optimistic about both provinces’ chances

*the effect of social distancing on spread

We actually had drive-thru testing at one hospital temporarily until they opened a clinic for it at an arena.

which arena? Sorry i forget if u live in van or toronto

i heard they’re turning VCC into a hospital

I live in Ottawa, actually; no worries, it's forgettable. Brewer Arena.

I blame the snowbirds who ignored instructions, went to weddings, etc.

― sean gramophone, Monday, March 30, 2020 1:48 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

also la bise

^ A problem for Italy as well?

I never see that cheek-kissing business in Gatineau. Is it just a Montreal thing? Do I just hang out with too many dudes?

not just a montreal thing

It's definitely more common here than in the ROC but from a Latin European perspective it's a rare occurrence.

I know this hospital pretty well from when my dad was in there 25 years ago.

http://www.toronto.com/news-story/9921011-coronavirus-outbreak-declared-at-mississauga-s-credit-valley-hospital/

http://www.blogto.com/city/2020/04/list-essential-businesses-ontario-about-get-shorter/

Thermo summed up the original list perfectly on Facebook: "Congrats everyone in Ontario, your job is now an essential service. Now get back to work!"

(Again, I think Ford's been trying his best to do the right thing for at least the last three weeks.)

Mountainview seniors residence here in Gtown has several confirmed cases in a resident and staff members as of this evening. Very ominous after what happened in Bobcaygeon and other ones. Pretty sure I know people whose parents are in there.

I thought for a second you meant the one the one by the high school--both my mom and grandmother lived there at different times a decade ago. I'm trying to picture the one you're talking about but can't.