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The latest developments on COVID-19 in Canada

COVID-19: the latest

The latest news on the COVID-19 global pandemic (all times Eastern):

1:25 p.m.

Quebec is reporting 41 new deaths today linked to COVID-19, bringing the total to 216 in the province.

Provincial health authorities say they have identified 10,912 confirmed cases of the virus, with 679 hospitalizations and 196 in intensive care.

Legault cautioned that not all long-term care facilities in the province have been impacted by COVID-19, identifying six facilities in particular that account for the lions share of deaths.

Ahead of the Easter long weekend, Legault says he wants people to steer clear of the elderly to reduce the risk of infection, but to make sure they still call them.

1:10 p.m.

B.C. Finance Minister Carole James says the province lost 132,000 jobs last month, but it's going to get worse before it gets better due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She says the latest Statistics Canada Labour Force numbers indicate B.C.'s jobless rate rose to 7.2 per cent from five per cent in March.

James says she expects the jobless numbers to increase over the coming weeks as they indicate the ongoing impact of the pandemic on the economy and workers and families.

She says the province has introduced a $5 billion action plan to help workers, families and businesses endure the pandemic.

12:50 p.m.

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Prince Edward Island remains unchanged at 25.

Heather Morrison, the province's chief public health officer, says 17 people have recovered from the viral infection.

She says provincial officials are making more than 1,000 telephone calls every day to make sure that people required to self isolate are doing so.

12:45 p.m.

Deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland says there is no way to know how long the border closure with the U.S. will last.

The prime minister had said earlier today that much of Canada's return to normal will depend on a vaccine that could be months away.

Freeland says making predictions on what that means for the border is foolhardy in the extreme.

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said earlier keeping Canada's case load low does depend on what happens in other countries, including the U.S.

12:40 p.m.

There are four more confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador, bringing the total to 236.

Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, chief medical officer of health in the province, says six patients are in hospital with two in intensive care, and 96 people have recovered.

The province has tested 4,390 people.

Data released Wednesday indicated the province is slowing the spread of COVID-19 so far, but Fitzgerald says the system could become overburdened quickly if people do not follow public health measures.

12:40 p.m.

The Saskatchewan government is promising one-time emergency bursaries to post-secondary students struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ministry of Advanced Education says it will dole out up to $1.5 million in emergency financial aid to students whose studies and jobs have been affected as the province tries to contain the spread of the virus.

12:15 p.m.

The federal government says over five million people have now applied for the emergency response benefit.

Of that, 4.6 million have had their payments processed already.

The benefit is part of a multi-billion-dollar aid package now rolling out to assist Canadians with the financial fallout of COVID-19.

11:37 a.m.

Trudeau says while he hopes to spend some time with his family this Easter weekend, his focus is on getting new emergency aid legislation passed.

He says discussions with opposition parties continue on the bill, which backs up the new wage subsidy program.

Trudeau says it is important to debate the democratic processes that could be put in place in the COVID-19 era, which the opposition wants to have.

11:30

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says it will take months of a continued and determined effort to avoid a COVID-19 worse-case scenario.

Trudeau is commenting on models released this morning forecasting how the continued spread of the pandemic will pan out based on how aggressively Canadians follow physical distancing protocols.

He says Canada is at a crossroad and the outcome will depend on how people behave, given there could be ongoing waves of the coronavirus.

He says this means physical distancing is and will be Canada's new reality until a vaccine is found.

11:25

A total of 42 inmates of federal prisons have tested positive for coronavirus — a jump of about 30 per cent over the past day.

Correctional Services Canada says that's out of 208 prisoners tested.

Quebec, with 19 inmate infections, has been hardest hit. British Columbia has reported 15.

Dozens of guards have also been infected.

11:10 a.m.

Nova Scotia has recorded its second death related to COVID-19.

Health officials say a woman in her 90s with underlying medical conditions died in the Cape Breton Regional Hospital on Wednesday.

Nova Scotia reported 31 new cases of the viral infection on Thursday, bringing its total to 373 confirmed cases.

Ten individuals are in the hospital, four of those in intensive care — and 82 individuals have now recovered.

10:35 a.m.

Ontario is now reporting 200 deaths from COVID-19, an increase of 26 people in the past day.

There have been 483 new confirmed cases since Wednesday, with a provincial total of 5,759.

More than 2,300 cases have been resolved, which is 40 per cent of Ontario's total COVID-19 confirmed cases.

10:05 a.m.

A First Nation in southwestern Ontario says one its members has died of COVID-19.

Six Nations of the Grand River's elected Chief Mark Hill says the community is grieving the death.

The First Nation says there are eight cases of COVID-19 on the reserve.

8:10 a.m.

Canada Goose Holdings Inc. is moving to increase its domestic production of personal protective equipment for health-care workers across Canada.

The company, best known for its luxury winter parkas, announced plans last month to start production of medical gear at two Canadian factories.

It now says it will begin to reopen its other Canadian facilities over the next two weeks to bring all eight of its locations into production.

It says at full capacity as many as 900 employees will be working to support the efforts.

7:50 a.m.

WestJet says it plans to bring back nearly 6,400 employees on to its payroll with the help of Ottawa's emergency wage subsidy program.

WestJet chief executive Ed Sims made the announcement in a video posted to Twitter.

He says employees will be back on the company payroll once the federal government has approved the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program.



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