Suggestions for how to celebrate July 4? Maybe by not hoarding the world's supply of Covid-19 drugs

⇒ Issue #66

⇒ Confirmed Covid cases in Canada as of 07/02: 106,228*
⇒ Confirmed Covid fatalities in Canada as of 07/02: 8,678*
⇒ Worldwide Covid cases as of 07/02: 10,716,063*
⇒ Worldwide Covid fatalities as of 07/02: 516,726*

July 2, 2020—Good morning and welcome to the first July edition of the Daily CurveFlattener, with assistant editor Kylie Rebernik reporting today from Oakville, Ont. 

Yesterday was Canada's 153rd birthday and the place is looking pretty good for its age. In honor of the occasion our household enjoyed refreshments from Nickel Brook Brewing Co. and proclaimed "Ooh!" and "Aah!" while watching virtual fireworks on our iPads.

It was reported yesterday by Forbes magazine and confirmed by Alex Azar, the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, that the U.S is buying the world's supply of Gilead Science's drug Remdesivir, which early research suggests could help speed up recovery of Covid-19 patients. According to the report, the deal precludes the European Union from buying or manufacturing the therapy. Canada's status regarding access to the drug is not clear. So, happy Independence Day? Um. With 48,000 new cases reported on Tuesday (June 30, 2020) you might conclude the U.S.A. has stopped singing "We are the World" and no longer feels as if we are all in this together. A shortsighted failure-to-share that doesn't even bother to pay lip-service to the historic and visionary principles of the Marshall Plan? Several are bound to think that. 

COVID CHRONICLE 07/02/20

• Two recent reviews published in the British Medical Journal (June 30, 2020), have concluded that there is insufficient evidence to support that vitamin D reduces the risk of respiratory infections, including Covid-19. 
• According to the Johns Hopkins University Covid-19 tracker, the world has surpassed 10 million confirmed cases of Covid-19, with the U.S. accounting for 25 per cent of the cases (see the scoreboard, top of this page.) 
• The Ontario jurisdictions of Toronto, Peel, and Hamilton have just announced that non-medical face masks will be mandatory for indoor public spaces. The new by-law will take effect on July 7, 2020, in Toronto. 

STORIES CHRONICLE IS WORKING ON TODAY

The team at Chronicle is working to compile a report on the National Pharmaceutical Congress 2020 Summer Webinar. The report will be distributed shortly. 

RIGHT NOW WE ARE LISTENING TO...

1619 Podcast. This podcast discusses the origin of slavery in America, specifically it details the voyage of the ship that brought over 20 enslaved Black people to work in the colony of Virginia. 

TONIGHT WE ARE COOKING...

Tonight we will be ordering through a microphone in a Tim Horton's drive-thru to begin our long weekend as we head to cottage country for a little break. Be assured that all groceries have been bought locally in Oak-villy, there will be no beach-going, and all social-distancing guidelines will be followed 

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN TO REPORT

Use the comments section at the Daily CurveFlattener to let us know what you're up to today. Or feel free to check in via LinkedIn, email, or your choice of connector. By all means, pass this newsletter along to your colleagues. My colleague "Duke" Perla will emerge tomorrow from his dugout in Hertel Village, N.Y., and step up to the plate.