Coronavirus Update: Senators tell Ottawa to consider a universal basic income for economic recovery

Good evening, here are the coronavirus updates you need to know tonight.

Top headlines:

1. Senators urge Ottawa to target income-support programs on economic recovery
2. First Canadian trial for a COVID-19 vaccine begins human trials in Quebec
3. U.S. disease experts says masks could get case spikes under control in four to eight weeks

In Canada, there have been at least 108,483 cases reported. In the last week 2,317 new cases were announced, 18 per cent fewer than the previous week. There have also been at least 72,170 recoveries and 8,798 deaths. Health officials have administered more than 3,482,872 tests.

Worldwide, there have been at least 13,103,290 cases confirmed and 573,042 deaths reported.

Sources: Canada data is compiled from government websites, Johns Hopkins and COVID-19 Canada Open Data Working Group; international data is from Johns Hopkins University.

Coronavirus explainers: Updates and essential resources • Coronavirus in maps and charts • Lockdown rules and reopening plans in each province

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Number of the day

54 per cent

54 per cent of Canadians with cancer have had treatments and tests cancelled or delayed as a result of COVID-19 precautions, a new survey says.

• Nearly three-quarters of patients reported the delays had a major effect on their mental and emotional health.
• 15 per cent of respondents said they had surgeries or procedures cancelled, and 62 per cent reported a clinical trial they were part of had been postponed or stopped.

The majority had access to virtual consultations with their doctors, but 71 per cent said they remained concerned about the delays and cancellations of in-person tests and treatments.

Coronavirus in Canada

• Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said Ottawa is blocking Apple and Google from helping the province fix a significant issue in ABTraceTogether, its contact-tracing app.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada says drinking inside a bar – allowed in Ontario starting Friday – is considered a high-risk activity. Meanwhile, the province reported 111 new cases, and one additional death.
• British Columbia is recording a deficit of $12.5-billion for 2020-21 and the GDP is predicted to decline 6.8 per cent because of the pandemic. Thirteen cases have been linked to private parties held around Canada Day in Kelowna.
• Manitoba ended its 13-day streak with no new cases, as five cases – including an airline passenger – were reported. The Premier is open to Winnipeg serving as a CFL hub city.
• Quebec reported 109 new cases and five additional deaths.

COVID-19 vaccine trials: The first Canadian trial for a COVID-19 vaccine began its first test in humans today in Quebec.

• The vaccine so far has shown positive results in animal studies. This trial is a test of its safety, not its efficacy.
• While there is no guarantee that any of the combinations will provide protection against the coronavirus, there has been no shortage of people looking to participate.
• The vaccine is developed by Medicago Inc., a Quebec biopharmaceutical company,

The effort adds to the roughly 180 COVID-19 vaccines in development around the world, some of which have proceeded to advanced-stage trials involving thousands of subjects.

Also today: In their review of the massive emergency federal spending in response to COVID-19, released Tuesday, the Senate national finance committee said Ottawa and the provinces should consider a universal basic income as a longer-term option and that emergency spending powers the government gave itself in March should not be extended when they expire in September.

And: The Bloc and NDP join a Conservative call for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to testify on the now-cancelled $900-million WE Charity contract.

Coronavirus around the world

• The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that if all Americans wore a mask, the rising cases of COVID-19 could be under control within four to eight weeks. Meanwhile, four states reported record daily increases in deaths.
• Researchers on Tuesday reported a baby born in France in March to a mother with COVID-19 tested positive for the virus and developed symptoms of inflammation in his brain. There is strong evidence the baby caught the virus via his mother’s placenta in the womb.
• The World Health Organization wants to ensure vulnerable Latin American nations receive a “subsidized” vaccine at an “affordable” price once it is available, according to the agency’s regional director for the Americas.

Coronavirus and business

The Greater Toronto Airport Authority has cut 500 positions, 27 per cent of its work force. Passenger levels at Pearson International Airport have fallen to 1996 operating figures as the pandemic slows air travel.

• WestJet’s August schedule, for example, includes more than 200 daily flights – a dip of 75 per cent compared with August last year.
• Delta Airlines plans to add 500 flights in August – just 25 per cent of what was offered last summer. “We’re at a stall right now,” Delta’s CEO said.

Also today: British airliner Virgin Atlantic agreed to a rescue deal with shareholders and creditors worth US$1.5-billion.

And: China posts first import growth since pandemic, exports also up.

More reporting

• Are you ready for your big family road trip? Take our quiz to see if you’re ready to hit the highways. If you’re staying in a hotel, here’s what to expect during your stay.
• Group of Toronto realtors urge governments to expand housing supply in relief plan.
• Reselling goods with online marketplaces offers an alternative income stream for many amid the pandemic recession.
• The countdown to Aug.1 is on: NHL’s restart nears as training camps open

Distractions

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🎧 For the stressed-out millennial: Can you afford to live downtown?

Rob Carrick and Roma Luciw talk to a group of thirtysomethings living in downtown Toronto, and a peek at their credit card statements.

• And: Rob talks to Bridget Casey, the millennial writer of personal-finance blog Money After Graduation
• Listen to Episode 6 Stress Test now on iTunes or Spotify

🎧 Catch up: How to survive the gig economy • How to get out of debt • Is now the right time to buy a house? • Crisis-proof your finances • Does investing change during a pandemic?

Information centre

• A 10-point pandemic personal finance checklist: Create a “wartime” family budget; stop worrying about bank deposits; clean out your big-bank savings account; get relief on car payments; get preapproved for a mortgage; WFH? Save $1,000 a month; save, save, save; build resilience by not anxiety-buying; consider the cost of mortgage deferrals; get ready for the second wave of financial distress.
• Here are the expectations for self-isolation; tips for managing anxiety and protecting your mental health; and what to do if you think you have the virus, and what you can do to help slow the spread of coronavirus. How to break a bad habit (like touching your face).
• The best foods to eat to maintain an immune system-friendly diet; and how to keep a healthy diet while working from home; four eating tips when working from home; and five mistakes that might cause you to gain unwanted weight. Here are the essentials to stock up on and how to shop safely for groceries; the best pantry staples and how to stop stress-eating. What to cook with rhubarb (aside from pie).
• Here’s what you should do if you are newly laid off; how to apply for CERB, EI, and other financial benefits; how the CRA might identify CERB fraud; and other coronavirus and employment questions answered. What to do if your employees don’t return to work because they want to collect CERB.

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