Coronavirus Update: CERB replacement addresses three central criticisms of the program, economists say

Good evening, here are the coronavirus updates you need to know tonight.

Top headlines:

1. Economists say CERB replacement addresses three central criticisms of the program
2. At least 41 schools in Berlin have confirmed coronavirus cases, two weeks after reopening
3. A Kentucky man could face $750,000 in fines for allegedly violating quarantine measures in Alberta

In Canada, there have been at least 124,279 cases reported. In the last week 2,621 new cases were announced, 2 per cent fewer than the previous week. There have also been at least 110,600 recoveries and 9,062 deaths. Health officials have administered more than 5,359,807 tests.

Worldwide, there have been at least 22,678,483 cases confirmed and 793,698 deaths reported.

Sources: Canada data is compiled from government websites, Johns Hopkins and COVID-19 Canada Open Data Working Group; international data is from Johns Hopkins University.

Coronavirus explainers: Updates and essential resources • Coronavirus in maps and charts • Lockdown rules and reopening plans in each province • Global rules on mask-wearing • [NEW] Rules on back to school

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$750,000

A Kentucky man could face a fine of up to $750,000 or six months in jail for allegedly violating quarantine rules in Alberta in June. Americans have used a loophole allowing them to travel through Canada on the way to and from Alaska.

• The American man was caught by RCMP allegedly breaching quarantine requirements and was issued a ticket under the Alberta Public Health Act.
• After a second complaint the next day, he was charged under the federal Quarantine Act.

The man was arrested and released for a November court date.

Coronavirus in Canada

• Under new, stricter rules in British Columbia, property owners and organizers can be fined up to $2,000 for hosting gatherings of more than 50 people or failing to collect contact tracing information.
• Alberta and British Columbia have traced dozens of new cases to recent religious gatherings along with other indoor social gatherings. Churches, like bars in B.C., are configuring service to the new COVID-19 norms.
• Even without a provincial mandate, 24 of the 27 school divisions in Saskatchewan will enforce mandatory masking rules when classes resume in September.
• Newfoundland and Labrador says it has returned to zero active COVID-19 cases in the province.
• Yesterday, the Toronto District School Board, the largest school board in Ontario, voted to direct resources to ensure more than 70 schools in the hardest hit areas of the city will have smaller class sizes.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced an agreement under which 3M Canada will increase its capacity to eventually produce up to 100 million N95 masks a year.

• The first deliveries of the medical-grade N95 respirator masks will arrive early next year for health and other front-line workers.
• The federal and Ontario governments are each contributing $23.3 million. In turn they will both receive 25 million masks per year over five years.

Catch up: The Globe’s André Picard answered your questions on what parents need to know about schools reopening.

Coronavirus around the world

• Researchers in Singapore have discovered a new variant of COVID-19 that causes milder infections, a new study in the Lancet says.
• At least 41 of the 825 schools in Berlin, Germany have confirmed coronavirus cases, two weeks into school reopenings in the capital city.
• Despite a strong rebound in retail, Britain’s economy faces a long road ahead after shrinking by a record 20 per cent in the second quarter.

Coronavirus and business

Economists say the CERB replacement addresses the three central criticism of the program: that $500 per week is too generous, that it didn’t require recipients to look for work, and that it penalized recipients who worked more than a a certain amount of hours. The changes, announced yesterday, address all three:

1. Canada Recovery Benefit payouts are reduced by 20 per cent, to $400 per week.
2. CRB recipients must look for and accept work “when it is reasonable to do so.”
3. The financial penalty that kicked in for recipients working part-time is removed. Workers can work more hours before wages are clawed back.

Also today: For homeowners with secure jobs, measures aimed at limiting the financial damage of the pandemic have actually helped increase the value of their homes, and boost their household wealth substantially.

• Ultralow interest rates have sent mortgage rates to record lows and helped inflate home prices to record highs, increasing household for homeowners with secure jobs.
• Renters, meanwhile, sometimes low wage workers or recently unemployed because of the pandemic, have not reaped the same rewards.

And: Canada Post reported a second-quarter pretax loss of $378-million due largely to the impact of the pandemic. Even as the company recorded an unprecedented growth in parcel volume, mail and direct-marketing revenues dropped faster.

Globe opinion

• Debora MacKenzie: “In a few months, the Northern Hemisphere will head into flu season – and COVID-19 will still be here. How do we handle both at once?”
• Jeff Rubin: “If history is any indication, the COVID-19 recession won’t be easy to shake off.”

More reporting

• Businesses in Kingston, Ontario are pinning their hopes of an economic recovery on returning postsecondary students.
• Canadian retail sales rose by a record 23.7 per cent in June.

Distractions

🍿 For the movie buff: Four films to stream this weekend, and four more:

• Tenet: Christopher Nolan’s long-delayed genre-crossing extravaganza makes absolutely zero sense, but it’s one hell of a thrill ride.
• Chemical Hearts is a teen romance admirably more serious than the usual fare.
• The Sleepover: A giddy and fitfully amusing adventure-comedy mashup with a little bit of an edge.
• The One and Only Ivan: An at-home release with big-screen ambition.

Information centre

• Rob Carrick’s 10-point checklist of things you should have done by now to protect or improve your money situation. Tips for minimizing damage to your credit score; how to manage retirement anxiety during difficult times; and things to think about if you’re considering home delivery.
• Here are the expectations for self-isolation; tips for managing anxiety and protecting your mental health; and what to do if you think you have the virus. Wash your hands. How to break a bad habit (like touching your face). Is flying safe?
• The best foods to eat to maintain an immune system-friendly diet; and how to keep a healthy diet while working from home; four eating tips when working from home; and five mistakes that might cause you to gain unwanted weight. Here are the essentials to stock up on and how to shop safely for groceries; the best pantry staples and how to stop stress-eating. What to cook with rhubarb (aside from pie).
• Here’s what you should do if you are newly laid off; how to apply for CERB, EI, and other financial benefits; how the CRA might identify CERB fraud; and other coronavirus and employment questions answered. What to do if your employees don’t return to work because they want to collect CERB.

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