New numbers out Sunday confirm 42 new cases of COVID-19 in Ontario today - revising previous reports of 39 cases - bringing the overall total in the province up to 145.
The total number of cases in Canada stands at 341.
Here is a breakdown of the latest numbers of confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 7:00 p.m. March 15, 2020:
- Ontario: 145 confirmed (5 cases resolved)
- British Columbia: 73 confirmed, including one death (6 cases resolved)
- Alberta: 56 confirmed
- Quebec: 39 confirmed
- Manitoba: 7 total (4 confirmed, 3 presumptive
- New Brunswick: 6 (5 presumptive, 1 confirmed)
- Saskatchewan: 6 presumptive
- Canadians quarantined at CFB Trenton: 4 confirmed
- Nova Scotia: 3 presumptive
- Prince Edward Island: 1 confirmed
- Newfoundland and Labrador: 1 presumptive
- Total: 341 (323 confirmed, 18 presumptive, 11 resolved)
Canada's top public health official says COVID-19 poses a serious health risk to all Canadians -- and the window to suppress the outbreak is narrow.
Doctor Theresa Tam also repeated previous government advice to avoid travel outside of Canada, self-isolate for 14 days if returning from a trip abroad, and practise social distancing.
But she stopped short of recommending what the Quebec government announced today -- that bars, gyms, theatres and other public facilities be closed, and restaurant patrons limited.
Tam replied that's ``up to different individuals.''
Meanwhile, the Ontario government is urging hospitals to postpone all elective surgeries.
Health Minister Christine Elliott tweeted that the government is encouraging hospitals to start implementing additional steps in their pandemic plans.
To that end, it says hospitals should start ``carefully ramping down'' optional surgeries.
Elliott says doing so will allow the facilities to be better able to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak.
In other COVID-19-related news, the government of Ontario doesn't think keeping casinos open during the novel coronavirus crisis is worth the gamble.
It is closing all of them as a precaution.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation says the closures have started going into effect today and should be fully implemented in the next 24 hours.
It does not say when the casinos are expected to reopen.
Ontario has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country, with 145.
Meanwhile, Starbucks is ramping up its efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 by removing seating from its stores.
The coffee chain says people will still be able to make purchases in-store and online, but they'll be encouraged to take items to go.
It says it's also temporarily closing stores in ``high-social gathering locations'' such as those in shopping malls and on university campuses.
The chain says workers whose hours will be affected by the pandemic will get "catastrophe pay.''
Lush Canada is also temporarily shuttering its stores.
With files from Heather Seaman