The number of COVID-19 cases in Canada jumped today to nearly 2,600 Welcome to the Maclean's daily newsletter. As the coronavirus disrupts life in Canada, and Canadians get used to the notion of "social distancing" and "flattening the curve," Maclean's has expanded this newsletter to include everything you need to know about the global pandemic. You'll still find our best stories of the day at the bottom of the newsletter, but we'll also catch you up on news and notes from around the world.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "You pick the 26,000 people who are going to die because you only sent 400 ventilators!"—New York Governor Andrew Cuomo angrily demanded of President Donald Trump and his administration on Tuesday. He had requested 30,000 ventilators for a wave of COVID-19 starting to hit hospitals in his state. (Vice-President Mike Pence says 4,000 were shipped.)
The number of COVID-19 cases in Canada jumped today to nearly 2,600. Part of the reason for the increase is that Quebec is now merging the number of confirmed and probable cases together into one figure. The number of deaths is 25. Worldwide, there are more than 400,000 cases with almost 19,000 deaths. This week, President Donald Trump repeatedly signalled that he wants to reopen the U.S economy soon, even though public health experts warn that decision will allow COVID-19 to spread even further, possibly causing many more deaths. Canada, like so many other nations, is keeping to the self-isolation-and-closure strategy:. "We must not waver or give up too soon. We must do what we need to to plank the curve," said Dr. Howard Njoo, deputy chief public health officer of Canada. Canada is hoping to avoid the desperate situation in Italy, where almost 7,000 deaths have been recorded. The stories are heartbreaking: Giuseppe Berardelli, a 72-year-old priest, died after giving his respirator, purchased for him by his parishioners, to another, younger patient. Yet, there may be a spark of hope that weeks of social isolation measures in Italy are starting to pay off: the number of new patients with COVID-19 has slowed in recent days. Spain, with the fourth-worst outbreak—behind Italy, China and the United States—has just turned an ice rink in Madrid into a morgue. Germany, which has been able to avoid Italy and Spain’s disasters, is now taking patients from overwhelmed Italy. To stop competition driving up prices, European health ministers have reportedly decided to proceed with centralized purchases of coronavirus materials and health devices. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a three-week "complete" lockdown. He warned that "many families will be destroyed forever" if the nation of 1.3 billion people can’t slow the spread of COVID-19. The 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics are officially postponed. A day after Canada said its teams wouldn’t compete, the International Olympic Committee made the inevitable decision. It hopes to hold the Games by next summer. Cannabis’s makeover is complete: Two years ago, it was illegal for most to smoke in Canada; now it’s essential in Ontario. Some mesmerizing graphics are hitting social media to show how staying home can save lives. For instance, watch this graphic once or twice to get an idea of how self-isolation can break the spread of COVID-19, then watch it again while looking at the numbers at the top drop and drop and drop. The surge in home cooking means social media is now full of recipes and suggestions for those looking to spice up their menu rotation. May I recommend this yummy Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) recipe for lemon chicken. —Patricia Treble
As of the latest update, this is the number of confirmed cases in Canada. We're updating this chart every day. 
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