Nova Scotia has announced a $380-million loan program to help municipalities with financial losses due to COVID-19. Developed in collaboration with the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities and the Association of Municipal Administrators, the loans will be available through the Nova Scotia Municipal Finance Corporation. Municipal Affairs Minister Chuck Porter says the program will help municipalities continue to deliver programs and services. The Municipal Affairs Department will approve requests from municipalities before sending them to the corporation for final approval.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says six million surgical masks will be shipped to the provinces and territories this week. He says 100,000 face shields are also on the way soon. Trudeau says ensuring workers have the right protective equipment is essential to helping businesses reopen.

The chief public health officer for Canada is giving an update this hour on national projections for the spread of COVID-19. Dr. Theresa Tam says so far, 740,000 tests have been carried out, with about 20,000 people getting tested daily. 7 per cent have tested positive. Tam says the new models are planning tools that allow illness rates to be forecasted in the short term and to allow public health measures to be adjusted.

Nova Scotia is reporting three more deaths related to COVID-19, bringing the province's total to 27. Health officials are also reporting 15 new cases of the virus bringing the total of confirmed cases to 915. The province says the newly reported deaths occurred at the Northwood long-term care home in Halifax, which has been hardest hit by the disease. There are 10 licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors facilities in Nova Scotia with cases of COVID-19, involving 218 residents and 95 staff. Nova Scotia has registered 26,902 negative test results, while 522 people have recovered.

Ontario is reporting 525 new COVID-19 cases today, and 59 more deaths. That ends three consecutive days of declining numbers of new cases. The new provincial total of 15,381 cases is an increase of 3.5 per cent over the previous day's total and includes 951 deaths and 8,964 resolved cases. Hospitalizations went up, but the numbers of people in intensive care and on ventilators declined slightly.

Quebec is reporting 83 new COVID-19 deaths, bringing the provincial total to 1,682. The province is also reporting a total of 25,757 confirmed cases. Premier Francois Legault says while 1,625 people are in hospital, 94 are long-term care patients who have recovered but aren't being returned to their homes. Legault says while the number of deaths have risen in long-term care homes, other deaths remain largely stable in the province. He says that's why the government is moving ahead with a plan to restart the economy and reopen primary schools and daycares.

Federal forecasting data suggests that by May 5, as many as 3,883 people could die due to COVID-19.And by the same date, there could be as many as 66,835 cases in Canada.Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says the initial models released on April 9 under-predicted the number of deaths in Canada.But she says with a large number of outbreaks occurring in long-term care homes, there has been a higher fatality rate.Dr. Theresa Tam says so far, 740,000 tests have been carried out, with about 20,000 people getting tested daily.Seven percent have tested positive.Tam says the new models are p

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says in many parts of Canada the COVID-19 curve has flattened.He says that's the bottom line of new federal modelling data being released today.But he says while the measures taken so far to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus are working, Canadians can't let up.He says a coming national framework for easing up on some of those measures is based on ensuring COVID-19 can be contained.Trudeau says six million surgical masks will be shipped to the provinces and territories this week.He says 100,000 face shields are also on the way soon.Trudeau says ensuring wor

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says he toured the damage caused by flooding in Fort McMurray and the province is ready to help.He and Environment Minister Jason Nixon went to northern Alberta on Monday afternoon.The city's entire downtown is under an evacuation order due to high water caused by spring ice breakup on the Athabasca and Clearwater rivers.Northern Lights Regional Health Centre and the nearby Grayling Terrace neighbourhood are exempt from the order.More than 5,000 people have registered at two evacuation centres and the municipality says that number is expected to grow because about