The Ontario government is set to unveil an enhanced plan to fight COVID-19 in the province’s long-term care homes today.<\/p>\n
Premier Doug Ford says the front lines of the battle against the virus have shifted to seniors homes, with 114 outbreaks at such facilities across Ontario.<\/p>\n Ford says the province will provide more details on the plan, which will include more testing for residents and staff and increased infection control.<\/p>\n He says the province will also stop people from working in more than one of the homes at a time to limit the virus’s spread.<\/p>\n The government has also said it would be processing 8,000 COVID-19 tests a day by today, but did just under 5,000 on Monday.<\/p>\n Ford expressed frustration last week that Ontario has been testing for COVID-19 well below its capacity of 13,000 a day.<\/p>\n Ontario has seen 7,953 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the outbreak began in late January. Some 857 of those cases, or about 10.8 per cent of all cases, are health-care workers, according to the latest update.<\/p>\n The province’s official death toll currently sits at 334, though CBC News has compiled data from regional public health units and counted at least 411 deaths.<\/p>\n Ford and several cabinet ministers are scheduled to provide a daily briefing at 1:00 p.m. ET at Queen’s Park.<\/p>\n The Ontario Energy Board (OEB)\u00a0is delaying setting new electricity prices for the summer months.<\/p>\n The OEB typically adjusts rates for homes and small businesses on May 1, but says it will defer that move this year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n It says holding prices at the winter rates set last November will give consumers access to more power at a lower price.<\/p>\n Ford previously passed an order freezing hydro rates at off-peak prices until at least May 7.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, wildlife experts say the physical distancing measures adopted to curb the spread of COVID-19 could have benefits for Ontario’s animal population.<\/p>\n Lakehead University wildlife professor Brian McLaren says animals are now less likely to be disturbed during the important mating and migration seasons.<\/p>\n Emily Rondel, vice-president of the Toronto Ornithological Club, agrees.<\/p>\n She speculates that improved air quality will likely boost the food chain from plants and insects up to birds and mammals.<\/p>\n CBC<\/p>\nElectricity prices<\/h2>\n
Shutdown could be good for wildlife, researchers say<\/h2>\n