Passengers are being allowed to remain in their vehicles on the enclosed car decks of vessels operated by BC Ferries because of COVID-19. The ferry service says is relaxing its restriction after Transport Canada and the Canadian Ferry Association agreed to give ferry operators more flexibility to help people keep their social distance. BC Ferries says in a statement that passengers are normally kept off closed car decks to ensure their safety in an emergency. As a result of the temporary change in policy, the ferry service says it will increase patrols on the car decks of its vessels.

Costco says it has had a surge of business since the COVID-19 outbreak, and is going to start controlling the number of customers allowed in its warehouses in response. The company is also reducing some services and is asking customers and employees to practice social distancing in its stores. Limits have been placed on the number of certain items customers are allowed to buy at once and the company is working with suppliers to make sure in-demand items are available. Costco has also stepped up sanitation of its carts, cashes and product shelves.

Alberta is declaring a state of public emergency in reaction to the novel coronavirus. Premier Jason Kenney has announced that any gathering larger than 50 people, including weddings and funerals must be cancelled. Public recreation facilities, casinos, bingo halls, bars, museums and art galleries will also be shuttered if not already. Worship services and conferences also fall under the 50 person rule. Kenney says his government will spend $60 million on charities and non profit groups who are helping people cope with the effects of the virus.

St. Patrick's Day won't be a party in Vancouver as health authorities have asked all bars and restaurants in the city to close their doors for the day. The request from the Vancouver Health Authority came just hours after the city's mayor said the shutdown would help efforts to control COVID-19 by keeping people away from packed St. Patrick's Day events. Gatherings of more than 50 people are now banned in British Columbia. The province's latest official count of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus is 103, including four deaths and six patients under care in hospital.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the Emergencies Act is a tool the federal government can use to enact measures it would otherwise not be able to enact. He says the Liberal government is looking at other ways to impose new measures without calling a state of emergency. Trudeau also says that with three million Canadians living or travelling abroad at any time, it would not be possible to expect that everyone would be able to come home immediately. Trudeau also says Canada is in a good fiscal position to be able to invest in Canadian individuals and businesses to make sure the country gets t

US President Donald Trump says discussions are ongoing with Canada about keeping the border open between the two countries. Trump says the U-S is working very closely with Canada and is calling the relationship between the two countries ``outstanding.'' The opposition parties are criticizing the Trudeau government for its decision yesterday to keep letting Americans into Canada even though it has closed the border to most other foreign nationals. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says the government is urgently reviewing the issue.

Health officials in Ontario are confirming the province's first death in a patient with COVID-19.A spokesman for the province's health minister says the 77 year old man in the Muskoka region was not a confirmed case, but the illness was discovered after his death.The exact cause of his death is still under investigation.It's the first Canadian fatality outside British Columbia linked to the novel coronavirus.

Canada's largest movie exhibitor Cineplex Inc. says it's closing all of its 165 theatres nationwide until at least April 2 in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.The chain also plans to temporarily shutter entertainment complexes the Rec Room and Playdium effective tonight.Chief executive officer Ellis Jacob says Cineplex leadership has closely monitored the escalating spread of COVID-19 in Canada, and believes ``the time as come for us to do more.''Cineplex represents about 75 per cent of the Canadian film exhibitor market across the country. The company had been reluctant to close down its ope

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is declaring a state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.The state of emergency prohibits organized public events of 50 or more people in Ontario until March 31.Effective immediately, all public libraries, private schools, licensed child daycares, theatres, cinemas and other public venues in the province must close.All bars and restaurants must close except to provide takeout food and delivery.Essential services such as grocery stores and pharmacies will continue to operate.