Situation:
- Case counts as of March 17, 2020:
-
- China: 80,881 cases; 3,226 deaths
- Asia & Oceania: 12,373 cases; 147 deaths (South Korea – 81)
- Europe: 66,110 cases; 2,815 deaths (Italy – 2,158)
- Middle East 452 cases; 9 deaths
- Latin America and Caribbean: 1,045 cases; 7 deaths
- North America: 5,011 cases
- United States – 4,578 cases; 87 deaths
- Canada – 433 cases; 5 deaths
- 9 new cases were reported today in Ontario, bringing the cumulative total to 186 (this includes 5 resolved cases).
In Ontario, there are 1567 persons under investigation with lab results pending.
- The first death in Ontario potentially related to COVID-19 was reported today. The individual was a man in his 70s who was a close contact of a positive case and COVID-19 was recently identified after death. The coroner’s investigation is ongoing and more will be known about the specific cause of death in the days ahead.
Actions Taken:
- The Premier of Ontario has declared an emergency under s.7.0.1(1) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. Under this declaration and its associated orders, the following establishments are legally required to close immediately:
-
- All facilities providing indoor recreational programs;
- All public libraries
- All private schools as defined in the Education Act;
- All bars and restaurants, except to the extent that such facilities provide takeout food and delivery;
- All theatres including those offering live performances of music, dance, and other art forms, as well as cinemas that show movies; and
- Concert venues.
- All organized public events of over fifty people are also prohibited, including parades and events and communal services within places of worship. These orders were approved by the Lieutenant Governor in Council and will remain in place until March 31, 2020, at which point they will be reassessed and considered for extension, unless this order is terminated earlier.
- These Orders in Council have been attached to the Situation Report.
- The province has also announced investing up to $304 million to enhance the province’s response to COVID-19, the details of which can be found in the news release.
- The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada issued a committee opinion regarding COVID-19 during pregnancy. Information can be found on their website.
- Guidance for Long-Term Care Homes and Independent Health Facilities have been updated and are available on the Ministry of Health’s website. A checklist for Long-Term Care homes has also been uploaded.
- Public Health Ontario has updated their site related to COVID-19 testing including an updated list of accepted swab types.
- The Ontario Government website is being updated throughout to reflect the evolving situation including information from this morning’s announcement around the province declaring a state of emergency.
Ministry of Health | Health System Emergency Management Branch
Visit https://opseu.org/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19/ for more information on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), including situation reports and related news.