Canada has now reported 27,046 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 903 deaths.
The country’s new numbers come amid a total of 1,383 newly confirmed cases, as well as 123 new deaths reported by provincial health authorities on April 14. At least 8,200 out of Canada’s total cases have also recovered from the virus as well.
Tuesday’s death toll marks the highest daily increase in fatalities since the first death in Canada was reported on March 9.
COVID-19, which disproportionately hits older-aged adults, has left a trail of devastation across many of the country’s long-term care nursing homes.
Deaths in senior care homes have made up the brunt of Canada’s overall death toll, especially in the hardest hit province of Quebec — which reported a total of 75 deaths in a single day as a result of the virus.
To date, the province has a total 14,248 confirmed cases and 435 deaths as of April 14.
During his daily press briefing on Canada’s COVID-19 response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lamented the loss of seniors from the virus spread.
“These stories are horrifying,” he said.
“We know we need to do more.”
Trudeau did, however, note that the status of long-term care was a provincial responsibility, not a federal one.
Quebec and Ontario have also remained the highest in Canada in terms both daily reported cases and overall infections. Quebec, the epicentre of Canada’s outbreak, reported 691 cases while Ontario announced an additional 483 confirmed cases on Tuesday.
Today’s update in country-wide cases also comes amid a grim prediction for Canada’s economy.
A new report from the International Monetary Fund forecasts that in 2020, the world economy would have its worst year since the Great Depression era of the 1930s.
According to data from the forecast, Canada’s economy is slated to be hit harder than countries like the U.S. and Japan, but would fare better than the large economies of Europe such as the U.K., Germany, France and Italy.
The IMF expects Canada’s economy in particular to shrink by 6.2 per cent in 2020, but would be followed by a growth of 4.2 per cent in 2021. Worldwide, the economy is expected to drop 3 per cent this year before rebounding in 2021 with 5.8 per cent in growth.
News of Canada’s coronavirus outbreak was not entirely bleak on Tuesday, however.
The provinces of Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island all reported no new cases.
The prime minister on Tuesday also announced $130 million in funding to help Canada’s northern communities, with a part of the money specifically aimed at supporting airlines and offsetting the high costs of food and health products.
“If you live in the north, chances are you’re worried about whether your local health centre has the resources to fight COVID-19 and to cope with cases that might come up,” Trudeau said.
“These are tough times, but we’re going to help you through them to set your community up to come back strong when things get better.”
— With files from the Canadian Press, the Associated Press and Global News reporters Olivia Bowden, Emerald Bensadoun and Beatrice Britneff