Roundup: Closing the border (mostly)

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Another day, more social distancing restrictions put into place, with Ontario recommending that all restaurants (with the exception of take-out and delivery) and bars be shut, Calgary declaring a local state of emergency, and more cases mounting including three more deaths at a care facility in British Columbia. Justin Trudeau held a press conference early in the afternoon, where he declared that the border would be closed to non-citizen/permanent resident travellers – erm, except for Americans (and a few other exceptions) – which seems to be an action mostly to placate the those braying for more “decisive action” at this point given that it’s already in the country, and with all arrivals being told to self-isolate, I’m not sure the point. And the American exception may only be for a couple of more days, in large part because of the complex interconnections between the two countries that this can’t be done unilaterally. It also looks like CBSA has gotten their acts together with better screening questions at airports and airport authorities doing more to ensure proper social distancing than the chaos we saw over the weekend, so better late than never, I suppose.

https://twitter.com/PhilippeLagasse/status/1239615300225679360

https://twitter.com/PhilippeLagasse/status/1239617488188592128

As for the government’s pledge to help people pay their bills and rent, we are expecting more measures to be announced today, and we’ll see what kinds of policy levers they expect to use. On a broader scope, economists are saying that the measures to stabilize the market right now shouldn’t really be described as stimulus because of the nature of the shock, but that the stimulus will come later. Meanwhile, there is talk about the potential for a sharp rebound later in the year, once the temporary shock of the pandemic wears off.

https://twitter.com/kevinmilligan/status/1239604417340428288

Meanwhile, here’s an exploration of the uncharted territory that surrounds the invocation of the Quarantine Actand the Emergencies Act (which replaced the War Measures Act), as some have been suggestion, and how those may be a major test around Canadians’ Charter rights.

Good reads:

  • Here’s a snapshot of Justin Trudeau’s challenge of running a G7 country while being isolated at home.
  • The Star has profiles of the ten ministers on the COVID-19 Cabinet committee.
  • It appears that the managers at Global Affairs aren’t listening to public health officials about people with COVID-19 symptoms.
  • A number of military promotions and assignments were announced today, including the new vice-chief of defence staff.
  • The Conservative leadership race is trying to add more flexibility to their rules – without changing deadlines – given the current social distancing imperative.
  • Kady O’Malley’s Process Nerd column looks at what the suspension of Parliament means.
  • Kevin Carmichael looks at the roles that central banks are playing to forestall a recession brought on by COVID-19 and the associated market crash.

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2 thoughts on “Roundup: Closing the border (mostly)”

  1. I wonder how many people have really looked at the state of their investments with a view that If they don’t refresh the content of their mutual funds for example, many companies that make up the mix in a fund may go bankrupt in the future leaving investors with nothing. It may be wise to liquidate now and buy back in when things straighten out.Cash was king in the 1939’s. Many that held on, held nothing when the dust settled. Those with cash did best.

  2. I was aghast to find even the staunchest of Conservatives like James Moore and Rachel Curran sticking up for Trudeau’s (initial) decision to hold off on closing the border to the U.S. A “bigly” part of that “complexity” of relations with the two countries, or “particular” nature as PMJT described it, is the tangerine tyrant and what retaliatory measures he could mount if Canada decided to unilaterally “build a wall with America and make them pay for it.” Food and essential medical supplies could be tariffed or even sanctioned, and Canadians would suffer immensely just so he can blame someone and make COVID-19 an election issue. That’s the elephant in the room, or in the bed, as PET famously said. The orange woolly mammoth has since caught rabies, but can’t be quarantined except by mutual agreement with the moose. Pray to the Mother of Canada statue that sanity returns to Washington by November.

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