On Wednesday’s episode of Big Brother Canada (BBCAN), producers updated the houseguests on the spread of the new coronavirus in Canada.
The houseguests were asked to gather in the living room so executive producer Erin Brock could provide more details to those who have been isolated from the outside world.
“Houseguests, recently I brought you up to speed with what’s going on with COVID-19 around the world. Now I have another update for you. I want you to know what’s happening,” Brock said to the group of shocked houseguests.
“As of today, March 21, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally is 26,673. There have been 11,184 deaths and there are cases in 183 countries and territories. In Canada, there are currently 971 confirmed cases and a total of 12 deaths. The Canadian government has asked all Canadians abroad to come home. The prime minister of Canada and the president of the United States came to an agreement to close the Canada-U.S. border to all non-essential travel.”
“That’s insane,” Minh-Ly Nguyen-Cao said.
“I don’t know if that’s ever happened in history,” Vanessa Clements told her fellow houseguests.
Brock told the houseguests that the producers continue to speak with their families every day and that all their family members are still healthy.
“Susanne, we’ve been checking in on your family in Italy. They are quarantined, everyone is healthy and no one is ill,” Brock told houseguest Susanne Fuda, who has a lot of family members living in Italy.
“Are major sports events still taking place?” Hira Deol asked Brock.
“Every major sports league has now been shut down or postponed,” Brock told the houseguests.
“What a time for us to be isolated by the world,” Minh-Ly said to the houseguests.
“We’re probably safer in here, legit,” Susanne said while crying.
Hira said it’s very scary to hear “the world is shutting down for a bit.”
“Part of this Big Brother game is being cut off from the real world, and it’s scary because you do not know what’s going on out there. It makes you grateful for our little family away from home,” Hira said.
Earlier this week, Insight Productions and Global announced in a joint statement that they are prematurely ceasing production and officially bringing Big Brother Canada Season 8 to a close.
With the added restrictions of Ontario’s provincewide lockdown, the production felt cancellation was the best decision moving forward.
“Big Brother Canada is a labour of love for so many, and even though it hurts to say goodbye to the season, it’s the right thing to do,” said Big Brother Canada host Arisa Cox. “On behalf of the incredible people who put this show together, thank you to everyone who started this journey with us. Please take care and be safe!”
At this time, Big Brother Canada has no plans to resume production at a later date. After a truly unprecedented season, the show will take its final bow on Wednesday, April 1 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
There will be no official “winner” of this season, and details around the $100,000 prize money will be revealed in the show’s final episode.
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Watch complete past seasons of Big Brother Canada, along with Season 8 episodes and online exclusives, on the official site.
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Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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— With files from Global News’ Chris Jancelewicz