Shomporko Desk: COVID-19 update: March 24, 2020Canada’s British Columbia has confirmed 145 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the provincial total to 617. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the large jump in new confirmed cases Tuesday was due to the province reporting cases from both Sunday and Monday. Two new long-term care facilities have reported cases of COVID-19: Vancouver’s Little Mountain Place Residential Care Centre, where a staff member tested positive, and White Rock’s Evergreen Heights assisted-living facility, where a resident has tested positive.
Quebec had a reported 628 cases of the novel coronavirus in the province on Monday — nearly tripling its number of cases in one day and currently the highest number in the country. The surge in cases is up 409 from Sunday. Quebec Premier François Legault says one of the factors why Quebec is seeing a spike is because the province’s spring break takes place at an earlier date compared to other provinces.
The US could become the new centre of the global coronavirus pandemic, according to the World Health Organization, which said case numbers were rising quickly there even as Donald Trump talked of reopening the country for business. “We are now seeing a very large acceleration in cases in the US. So it does have that potential [to become the centre of the pandemic],” said Margaret Harris, a WHO spokeswoman.
COVID-19 India– Prime Minister Modi puts 1.3 billion people on full lockdown for 21 days to curb the spread of coronavirus: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday the government would impose a nationwide lockdown from midnight for 21 days to stem the spread of the coronavirus.“If we listen to the health experts we know that 21 days are crucial to breaking the cycle of transmission,” Modi said in his televised address to the nation on Thursday. “For a few days forget what it means to go out. Today’s decision of a nationwide lockdown draws a line outside your home.” India has so far reported 482 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and nine deaths.
‘We will send police. With flame-throwers’: Italian mayors lose it at people refusing to self isolate– As the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise, several Italian mayors have voiced their distress with those ignoring quarantine protocols. Mayoral figures of different Italian cities took to social media and local television to make statements regarding growing fear around COVID-19 in Italy. Despite the overwhelming amount of infected cases, some have disregarded the necessary precautions pushed by their government.
Sources: Global News, The Guardian
