Shomporko Desk: U.S. President Donald Trump is planning to extend the voluntary self-isolation period to a month. This comes as the country experiences large growth in the cases of COVID-19. The original 15-day period of self-isolation recommended by the federal government expires on Monday. Trump has expressed his thoughts on relaxing protective measures and rules in different areas of the country that have not been impacted as hard by COVID-19.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said more help is on the way for Canadian youth and seniors struggling with staying at home and accessing critical services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trudeau has recently unveiled his plans to fund Kids Help Phone to help children and teens through this difficult time in the world. “You’re watching the world … change radically. It’s a source of anxiety. It’s a source of tension. Maybe there’s extra tension in your family,” Trudeau said.
Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro visited a market area just outside the Brazilian capital on Sunday to press home his case for keeping Latin America’s largest economy ticking instead of locking down activities to combat the spread of the coronavirus. But Bolsonaro’s office’s social media campaign “Brazil can’t stop” was banned on Saturday by a federal judge and ran into a barrage of criticism from state governors, politicians, public health experts and even his own health minister.
Canadian first lady Sophie Grégoire Trudeau says she is “feeling much better” after recovering from COVID-19. “I wanted to give you all an update: I am feeling so much better and have received the all-clear from my physician and Ottawa Public Health,” she said in a Facebook post on Saturday. “From the bottom of my heart, I want to say thank you to everyone who reached out to me with their good wishes. And to everyone who is suffering right now, I send you all my love.”
India’s prime minister has asked for his country’s forgiveness after imposing a sweeping lockdown that he said had hurt millions of poor people. Criticism has mounted over the lack of planning ahead of the coronavirus shutdown, which was introduced with less than four hours’ notice. Many of India’s 1.3 billion citizens have been left jobless and hungry. Tens of thousands of migrant labourers have been forced to walk hundreds of kilometres to their native villages.
Italy, the country with the most reported deaths, recorded 756 new fatalities on Sunday. Spain’s Health Ministry said 838 people died from the virus over the last 24 hours, its highest daily number yet. Both countries together have more than five times the deaths reported in China, where the outbreak began.
Spain’s patients in intensive care surpassed the national capacity of some 4,400 beds, forcing health-care workers to decide whom to treat first. While officials say the increases in deaths and infections are levelling off, that focuses attention on the suffering and risks in hospitals.
