The federal government is providing $50 million to help farmers and food processors cover the costs associated with mandatory quarantine rules for workers coming in from outside the country.Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau says the labour shortage on farms is acute and depends on foreign temporary workers.But rules designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 mean this year's incoming workers must quarantine for 14 days.Bibeau says employers are committed to making sure workers follow those rules but they do come at a cost.She says the money is designed to help offset those and w

A new survey commissioned by the City of Vancouver is highlighting the impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on its residents.The survey says nearly half of Vancouver's residents have lost their jobs or faced a reduction in working hours.Mayor Kennedy Stewart says the economic downturn could cost the city half-a-billion dollars in lost revenue.He's calling for more aid from the provincial and federal governments warning that cities will have to take drastic measures if help isn't available.

Health Canada has approved the use of a portable, rapid-testing device for COVID-19.The Spartan Cube from Ottawa's Spartan Bioscience is expected to help provide rapid tests for health services in rural and remote areas such as Indigenous communities.The hand-held device, about the size of a coffee cup, eliminates the need for swab samples to travel to the nearest lab, which can be a logistical challenge.The federal, Alberta and Ontario governments are among those who have contracts for the testing kits, which can confirm results in less than one hour.Ontario has ordered nearly 1 million test

An under construction house in Surrey caught fire which further spread to three more houses. The incident is now being investigated by Surrey RCMP and fire department. The homes are located near 126A street and 80th Avenue. Nearly 22 firefighters worked to extinguish the fire. According to authorities, the fire is contained and an investigation is pending. Cause of fire is under investigation and not known as of now. Some pictures on social media showed large flames covering the houses.

There are 24,383 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada. Quebec: 12,846 confirmed (including 328 deaths, 1,745 resolved) Ontario: 7,049 confirmed (including 274 deaths, 3,121 resolved) Alberta: 1,651 confirmed (including 44 deaths, 823 resolved) British Columbia: 1,445 confirmed (including 58 deaths, 905 resolved) Nova Scotia: 445 confirmed (including 2 deaths, 97 resolved) Saskatchewan: 296 confirmed (including 4 deaths, 164 resolved), 2 presumptive Manitoba: 226 confirmed (including 4 deaths, 96 resolved), 16 presumptive Newfoundland and Labrador: 242 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 129 r

Pope Francis delivered Easter Sunday Mass from a nearly empty St. Peter's Basilica due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pontiff appealed for solidarity the world over to confront the ``epochal challenge'' posed by virus, saying ``this is not a time for self-centeredness.'' Police checkpoints in Europe and closed churches around the globe forced the faithful to watch Easter services online or on TV.

A man is apologizing after facing a backlash over a video of him appearing to spit on a Vancouver condo elevator. The video, posted to Twitter, shows the man spitting on the elevator's control panel before disembarking. In a statement released by his lawyer, the man says the incident was fuelled by a dispute he had with other owners in the building. The man who has not been identified says the incident occurred eight days ago and he has no health issues related to COVID-19. He says he will also seek counselling.

After almost a week in hospital, three nights of which were spent in the intensive care unit, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been discharged. His office says Johnson will continue his recovery from COVID-19 at Chequers, the prime minister's country house, and will not immediately return to work. In his first public statement since being moved out of the I.C.U. on Thursday, Johnson praised staff at the National Health Service, saying he owes them his life.

The Canada Border Services Agency says it is working with the Public Health Agency of Canada to ensure that long-haul truckers aren't bringing COVID-19 with them as they transport supplies into Canada. The mayor of Coutts, Alberta, says he is worried some truckers may not be telling the truth about if they have symptoms. The community sits at one of Western Canada's busiest border crossings, and he would like to see more stringent measures.