Health Minister Patty Hajdu says some provinces face shortages of the supplies they need to respond to the rising number of COVID-19 cases, and the federal government is taking stock of the national inventory of ventilators, protective gear and hospital beds. Health Minister Patty Hajdu and Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam say they're paying close attention to the availability of healthcare supplies needed to treat COVID-19 in individual provinces. Today, the Public Health Agency of Canada is recommending that Canadians avoid all cruise ship travel due to COVID-19," Tam said. The 237 Canadians are among 3,500 on board the cruise ship, which is expected to dock at Oakland, Calif., sometime today. Nineteen crew members and two passengers have tested positive for the virus aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship, which was headed to Oakland this morning after sitting off San Francisco for days.

Source: CBC News March 09, 2020 14:16 UTC