What we try to do here is give you a general idea of the impact the Coronavirus has on the industry – local, national and global – and on specific people, products and sectors in particular. This one caught our eye. A Canadian snowbird, who just drove from Florida to Prince Edward Island, finds himself living in his car after being turned away by officials at the Confederation Bridge because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Barry Humberstone has owned a home in Northport, P.E.I., for less than a year, after moving there from Georgetown, Ontario, but has spent the last six months in Florida with his American girlfriend.

Humberstone says he was denied entry to the Island because his driver’s licence and car registration are still from Ontario – something he admits he should have changed sooner.

The 60-year-old says the home on the Island is his principle residence, not a cottage, and he has a truck in his garage in Northport that has P.E.I. plates. Humberstone says he is now driving to Ontario because he has family there, but wants to return to the Island where all his winter clothes are stored.

He says he and his girlfriend have contacted the premier’s office but have yet to get a reply.

Canadians were told to return home over a month ago.

IPW Cancelled

No surprise. The announcement we were expecting – IPW which was to take place in Las Vegas from May 30 to June 03, has been officially cancelled. Next week delegates will be updated on the process for credits and refunds made for this year’s IPW, as well as additional information on IPW 2021.

Canada

Canada’s chief public health officer and her provincial counterparts are encouraging people to wash their hands, give each other space and wear a mask if they are sick or a homemade one if they believe they could have been exposed to the virus and are not showing any symptoms.

Ottawa has put money into health-care research and the economy. It has also put restrictions on international travel and is mandating 14-day quarantines for travellers returning to Canada to try to limit spread of the novel coronavirus.

Classes are suspended or cancelled at schools throughout the country.

Each province and territory also has its own emergency measures to detect cases and prevent spread of the virus.

Here’s a look at some of the ways different jurisdictions are responding:

British Columbia

B.C. declared a provincial state of emergency on March 18, a day after announcing a public health emergency. The measure gives the province authority to take any action necessary to protect people and communities, including charging people who ignore public health orders.

The province has also prohibited reselling essential supplies such as food and cleaning material.

All parking fees at B.C. hospitals have been cancelled during the pandemic to ensure safer access for patients and staff.

Officials have prohibited gatherings of more than 50 people in one place, including restaurants, schools, places of worship, theatres, casinos, sports arenas and outdoor venues.

That has forced the cancellation of the annual TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival in June.

All provincial parks are now closed.

The Vancouver park board says cars are being banned from most roads in Stanley Park to give cyclists, walkers and joggers more room.

Officials have also issued fire restrictions as the wildfire season begins.

Alberta

Alberta declared a public health emergency on March 17.

The province has given law enforcement agencies full authority to enforce orders and issue fines for violations.

There are restrictions on mass gatherings of more than 15 people, both indoors and outdoors at places of worship, weddings or funerals. Any gathering must allow people to keep the two-metre distance from others.

All non-essential businesses have been ordered closed, including personal service providers, clothing stores and furniture stores.

Albertans are prohibited from attending public or private recreational and entertainment facilities. Restaurants have been ordered closed, except for takeout or delivery. Casinos are closed.

Vehicle access to provincial parks and public lands is prohibited to visitors.

Albertans who have been ordered to quarantine cannot leave their property for 14 days. That also bars people who live in apartments to use the elevators.

Saskatchewan

Premier Scott Moe declared a provincial state of emergency on March 18.

It directs all orders from the chief medical health officer be followed and gives police the authority to enforce them.

Public gatherings are limited to no more than 10 people.

Nightclubs, bars and lounges are closed, but they are allowed to provide takeout food or alcohol.

Recreational and entertainment facilities are closed. Personal service providers such as tattoists, hairdressers, estheticians and relaxation masseuses cannot operate.

Health officials say there’s no evidence that domestic livestock or pets can be infected with or transmit COVID-19, but it has not been ruled out. They suggest anyone with the virus avoid contact with animals, as well as people, until more information is available.

Manitoba

The Manitoba government declared a provincewide state of emergency on March 20.

The province has limited public gatherings to no more than 10 people, down from an earlier limit of 50. It includes any indoor or outdoor spot, places of worship or family events such as weddings and funerals.

The province is instituting fines for people who don’t follow public safety orders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dauphin’s Countryfest, which has been running for more than 30 years, is cancelled this year.

Non-essential businesses have been ordered to close. Salons, spas, bars and other establishments were closed as of April 1. Restaurants can remain open for takeout or delivery only. Bingo and gaming venues as well as wellness centres and gyms are closed.

The Manitoba government has also postponed public events marking the province’s 150th birthday.

Ontario

Ontario has extended its state of emergency for another 28 days.

The order closes non-essential businesses and child-care centres until May 12. Schools will not re-open on May 4. All business except those deemed essential have been shut down. All bars and restaurants, except for takeout and delivery, have been closed. Also closed are recreational facilities, public libraries, private schools, licensed child-care centres, movie theatres and concert venues.

The province will allow curbside pick up and delivery of cannabis.

All industrial construction except for essential projects, such as hospitals, has been halted. (Ed. Note. Somehow they seem to still be working on my street.)

Any public events of more than five people, including parades, events and services at places of worship, are prohibited. Provincial parks are closed.

The City of Toronto has also shut down playgrounds, sports fields, off-leash dog parks, skateboard parks and picnic areas. Parking lots attached to parks are closed.

The province says it will also quadruple COVID-19 testing capacity to 16,000 by May 6.

Quebec

Quebec declared a public health emergency on March 13 and renewed it a week later.

The government has reduced non-priority services and prohibited indoor and outdoor gatherings. The Quebec government asks for all festivals, sporting and cultural events scheduled for this summer to be cancelled or postponed. That includes the Rogers Cup women’s tennis tournament scheduled for Aug. 7 to 16 in Montreal. Tennis Canada says the women’s event will return to Montreal in August 2021.

Officials have ordered police to set up checkpoints, severely curtailing access to eight remote regions. The restrictions have since been extended to ban all non-essential travel to much of cottage country north of Montreal, and to Charlevoix, northeast of Quebec City.

To give retail employees a break, stores are closed on Sundays in April, with only pharmacies, gas stations, convenience stores and takeout restaurants remaining open on those days.

New Brunswick

A state of emergency was declared in New Brunswick on March 19.

Businesses serving food and beverages have been restricted to takeout and delivery. Lounges and clubs are forbidden from allowing customers to enter. Customers are not allowed to enter retail businesses, unless they serve food, medication, fuel or other essential supplies.

No gatherings larger than 10 people are allowed and residents are urged to stay home as much as possible. They are also asked to delay non-essential errands.

Any unnecessary travel into New Brunswick is prohibited.

All playgrounds in the province are closed, but some public parks and walking trails remain open as long as physical distancing measures are followed.

Nova Scotia

The province of Nova Scotia declared a state of emergency on March 22 and it has been extended to April 19.

It set out a 14-day rule for self-isolation and self-quarantine for people returning from outside Canada. Casinos have closed and no business is allowed to operate a video lottery terminal. Restaurants are restricted to takeout and delivery service only. Drinking establishments are closed.

Two mobile assessment centres have been established to do community-based testing.

Prince Edward Island

Premier Dennis King declared a public health emergency on March 16.

It included an order to Islanders to refrain from attending any public gatherings and a closure of libraries, child-care facilities, gyms and schools. Measures also include fines for anyone who doesn’t comply with a direction to self-isolate.

The public health officer recommends people who are self-isolating stay on their own property when outside. The government is working to open an out-patient clinic to allow for increased testing and to ease the load on hospitals.

Newfoundland and Labrador

The province declared a public health emergency on March 18.

It includes the closure of most businesses – with the exception of grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations and other stores considered essential. Gatherings of more than 10 people are not allowed. That includes funerals and weddings.

Anyone arriving from outside the province is required to self-isolate for 14 days.

Health officials have the authority to restrict the rights and freedoms of people in a time of crisis. People who violate orders face fines.

Yukon

Yukon declared a state of emergency on March 27.

The government has placed enforcement officers at the Whitehorse airport and at its boundaries to get details of travellers’ self-isolation plans, their contact information and to look for any symptoms of COVID-19.

Yukon residents flying into Canada with COVID-19 symptoms must quarantine at their arrival destination, and those without symptoms are ordered to self-isolate for 14 days when they get home. Yukon has asked everyone arriving in the territory, including mine workers, to self-isolate for 14 days.

The government has closed bars and limited social gatherings to 10 people or less. Recreation facilities, libraries, museums and visitor centres are closed.

Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories declared a public health emergency on March 18, which has now been upgraded to a state of emergency.

It requires anyone who arrives in the territory from outside its boundary to self-isolate for 14 days. Travel through all points of entry into the territory – both air and road – is prohibited.

The territory has asked that all indoor and outdoor gatherings be cancelled – regardless of size or number.

Many businesses, including tour operators, gyms, museums and theatres, have been ordered to close.

The government has said it will help Indigenous families who want to head out on the land as an alternative to physical distancing. It will provide a $2.6-million grant to help families buy the proper gear and supplies to head out to fishing and hunting camps.

Nunavut

Nunavut declared a public health emergency on March 20.

It has no known cases of COVID-19, but it has restrictions in place. There is a mandatory 14-day self-isolation period at one of four locations in southern Canada for any resident that wants to return to Nunavut.

Critical employees who need to return to work must apply for an exemption. All non-essential medical travel has been cancelled.

Public gatherings, including at playgrounds or parks and at religious, cultural or spiritual services is prohibited.

School staff in Iqaluit are working to ensure students in the capital of Nunavut don’t go hungry because of closed classrooms. They’re continuing to provide breakfasts to children in a way that follows physical distancing rules.

Tim Horton’s

As the COVID-19 pandemic started to spread, Tim Hortons reviewed its advertising plans and decided they no longer made sense as store closures, wide-scale layoffs and physical distancing upended life in Canada. Instead, the coffee chain went back to the drawing board for two new ads.

One informs customers how to buy doughnuts, double doubles and other products without going inside a restaurant, while the other follows Tim Hortons trucks delivering free coffee and doughnuts to essential workers.

United States

Donald Trump has repeatedly touted the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the new coronavirus, despite a lack of testing, but pilots who take it will have to wait 48 hours before flying.

The Federal Aviation Administration says it reviewed hydroxychloroquine and closely related chloroquine when they became available. The drugs “have long been considered generally incompatible for those performing safety related aviation duties,” reads an FAA statement.

The safety agency cites the “wide variety of dosages” and lack of standards around using the drugs to treat the coronavirus in deciding that pilots who take them must wait before flying

To quarantine or not …

The first steps in lifting the economically crippling coronavirus restrictions in Europe and China are running into resistance, with shoppers and other customers staying away from the reopened businesses and workers afraid the newly restored freedoms could put their health at risk.

Amazon threatened on Wednesday to halt all its activities in France, a day after a court ordered the online retail giant to stop selling, receiving or delivering nonessential goods for the next month to protect its employees from the virus.

US retail sales plummeted a record 8.7% in March as the outbreak closed down stores and shoppers stayed home. Sales fell sharply across many categories: Auto sales dropped by one-quarter, while clothing store sales collapsed, sliding more than 50%.

In China, which is cautiously beginning to get back to business, millions are still wary of spending much or even going out. Some cities have resorted to handing out shopping vouchers and trying to reassure consumers by showing officials in state media eating in restaurants.

Hotels

Marriott International says about a quarter of all hotels worldwide are shuttered and expects more will close in the coming weeks. That amounts to more than 1,800 properties.

As well as more closures, occupancy rates will likely continue falling, the company said in a new business update. North American occupancy is about 10%, with more than 870 hotels temporarily closed.

North America RevPAR plummeted by nearly 60% in March, and declined even more in Europe at 71%.

It expects ‘further erosion in RevPAR performance and does not expect to see a material improvement until the spread of covid-19 has moderated and governments have lifted restrictions.”

The wider industry has been hit just as hard with nearly 80% of all hotel rooms across the country empty, according to data from hotel industry analysts STR.

Marriott has donated US $10 million in hotel stays for medical personnel in metro areas worst-hit by the coronavirus.

These are New York, New Orleans, Detroit, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Washington.

Additionally, there are more than 2,000 hotels in the Americas participating in the ‘Community Caregiver Program,’ which provides discounted rates for medical professionals.

Meanwhile, Hilton has teamed up with American Express to launch their Rooms for Responders initiative, offering free accommodation to more than a million healthcare professionals across 10 medical associations fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

A Hawaii program providing free hotel rooms to health workers responding to the coronavirus has been modified after the demand exceeded the number of available rooms. More than 870 room nights have been reserved through the Hotels for Heroes program, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.

The overwhelming demand forced organizers to make changes including limiting workers to seven-day reservations.

Hotels for Heroes was established to use extra hotel rooms while helping financially support the visitor industry and the community.

Hotels on Kauai, Maui, Hawaii island and Oahu with approved reservations are compensated $85 per room per night from state tourism funds. The program was developed by the Hawaii Tourism Authority, the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau and the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association.

The program does not accept health workers who have tested positive for COVID-19 or who have been required to quarantine.

In the US and Spain, Room Mate has also offered up hotels in New York, Madrid and Barcelona, to be transformed into temporary hospitals to help in the Covid-19 fight.

Australia

Health authorities have ordered 750 Qantas workers to self-isolate as a covid-19 cluster continues to grow at Adelaide Airport. There are now 32 staff members infected, as questions continue regarding Qantas’ handling of the situation.

South Australia’s chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier said the risk of infection has expanded beyond the baggage handling area and could now affect managers, pilots and cabin crew.

The Transport Workers Union said Qantas “knowingly exposed” staff to the risk of infection by asking employees to continue working. The airline failed to tell workers to stay home and isolate even after they worked with baggage handlers who tested positive for coronavirus.

Qantas says it has “complied fully with SA Health’s directions.”

The union is seeking a full investigation.

SafeWork NSW is also investigating allegations the airline suspended a worker who is an official health and safety rep for raising concerns staff could be exposed to the virus.

Well done

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has praised millions of people around the world in the travel and tourism sector for lending crucial help to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The statement said staff employed by WTTC members have volunteered time and expertise, putting their own lives on the line, to provide essential relief efforts in their local communities.

This has ranged from furloughed airline cabin crew, being deployed to help in hospitals, to operating additional flights for medical cargo, luxury hotels opening their doors to provide free rooms to healthcare workers or helping with grocery shopping and running errands for the elderly self-isolating.

WTTC president & CEO Gloria Guevara said: “WTTC wants to pay tribute to the millions of amazing coronavirus heroes throughout the global Travel & Tourism sector for selflessly going the extra mile to help their communities to overcome and combat the Covid-19 pandemic threat.

“We recognise their quiet heroism and phenomenal dedication through using their incredible people skills developed during their normal working lives and wealth of experience to step up and offer essential help and assistance to those on the front line fighting this terrible virus.

“Whether it’s tending to the sick, opening hotels for health workers or manning foodbanks, they, like countless others have risen to the challenge and shown with their hearts and actions that we are stronger together and we will win this battle.”

…and more

Carnival has offered a number of its cruise ships to act as floating hospitals to treat patients suffering from less-critical, non-coronavirus-related conditions.

Spanish flag carrier Iberia is working with the Spanish Federation of Healthcare Technology Companies (Fenin) and the Oesía Group to bring medical supplies from China to fight COVID-19.

In China, Trip.com has donated more than three million surgical masks to more than 25 countries around the world.

Latest WTTC research reveals up to 75 million travel and tourism sector jobs are at risk globally.

… and crime, of course

US law enforcement officials say more than 130 investigations have been launched around the country into fraud and other crimes linked to the COVID-19 outbreak.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations says its agents have so far made nine arrests and executed seven search warrants as part of an effort with other law enforcement agencies to crack down on fake virus tests and treatments and personal protective equipment and other attempts to take advantage of the health crisis.

The agency announced the start of “Operation Stolen Promise” in response to what it called a “significant rise in criminal activity.”

HSI said it has seized more than US $3 million in illicit proceeds and shut down 11,000 domain names connected to allegedly fraudulent schemes.

Agents expect the amount of fraud will increase as financial relief and federal stimulus money starts to filter through the US economy in the coming weeks.