Via The Guardian: Canada: Ontario warned to expect 15,000 deaths from coronavirus. Excerpt:
Health officials in Ontario have warned that as many as 15,000 will die from the coronavirus in Canada’s most populous province in the coming months, but said extreme measures already in place have probably saved many more lives.
The province released its coronavirus projections on Friday, as it prepares for a surge in cases that could overwhelm the province’s already-strained healthcare system.
“These numbers are stark, and they are sobering,” said the premier, Doug Ford. “But these forecasts are projections. And they can change with your actions and the government’s actions.”
In recent weeks, Ontario, like all provinces, has closed non-essential businesses, schools, public spaces and parks to blunt the spread of the coronavirus. But the number of cases continues to grow at a rate that has alarmed public health officials.
Provincial health experts said as many as 100,000 Ontario residents could have died over the course of the pandemic had the province not taken early measures. As many as 6,000 people would have in April alone.
With current measures – including limiting public gatherings and asking people to stay home – officials hope to keep the total death toll between 3,000 to 15,000 over the course of the pandemic, which they say could last as long as two years.
Officials expect as many as 80,000 people will become infected in April with 1,600 deaths.
“Where we end up depends on all of us … I appreciate, to many people, these are shocking figures,” said Dr Peter Donnelly, head of public health in Ontario during a technical briefing before Ford’s remarks. “These are truly, truly unprecedented times.”
