A promised reset of federal priorities to focus on the COVID-19 pandemic begins today with the Liberal government's speech from the throne. The nearly hour-long speech is expected to address three areas: immediate action to push back against a second wave of the pandemic, supports for those still not back on their feet after the first wave, and how the economy might be further rebuilt once it can stand more on its own.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's plan comes as public health officials are warning the country is but a few house parties away from plunging into a full-blown second wave.He's ex

Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu says staving off future lockdowns will depend on whether people can follow COVID-19 mitigation measures. She says keeping gatherings small and respecting the rules is a sacrifice everyone needs to make. But she says virus activity is not the same across the country, or even across single provinces. So she says a ``surgical approach'' is needed to determine whether restrictions need to be tightened and it should be targeted to regions of concern.

Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam has wrapped her update on the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada with a direct message to young people. The novel coronavirus's spread in their cohort must be pared back for the good of the rest of the country. Dr. Tam says young people played a crucial role in crushing the spring wave of the pandemic and they can do it again. A review of known cases in Canada shows the incidence has remained highest among young adults since late June. Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says Canada is now at a crossroads when it comes to avoiding a major resurgenc

Rebecca O'Toole, the spouse of federal Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole, has tested positive for COVID-19. The party says she began showing symptoms on Sunday, was tested that night in Ottawa, and her results came back late Monday night.Erin O'Toole tested positive on Friday for the novel coronavirus and has been in isolation. Their two children are being monitored for symptoms. Earlier last week, Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet tested positive for COVID-19. He is staying in isolation at his Shawinigan, Quebec home until September 26th. Blanchet's wife, Nancy, also tested positi

Canada has secured a fifth deal to buy vaccines, signing an agreement with Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline to buy up to 72-million doses of their experimental vaccine candidate. Federal Procurement Minister Anita Anand says the only way to ensure Canada will get enough doses of a COVID-19 vaccine when one becomes available is to bet on multiple horses at the same time. Canada has now committed a total of one-billion dollars to buy at least 154-million doses of vaccines from five different companies, with Anand announcing a deal with Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline earlier today. Canada has also joined

Weather warnings remain in effect for almost all of Atlantic Canada, as the expected track of hurricane Teddy now encompasses most of mainland Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, eastern PEI and the western half of Newfoundland. The hurricane is advancing toward the East Coast.The storm could make landfall Wednesday as a large and intense post-tropical storm on Cape Breton, but the region will see strong winds, heavy rain and pounding surf by tomorrow night. Wave heights offshore are expected to reach up to 15 metres by late tomorrow.

The Public Health Agency of Canada is getting a new president as the country heads into the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has tapped Iain Stewart, currently head of the National Research Council of Canada, to take over the role. Last week, the federal public health agency's president, Tina Namiesniowski, announced she was stepping down. She sent a letter to the agency's staff saying that after months of responding to the health crisis, ``none of us are superhuman'' and that she needed a break. Stewart, who has been a senior member of the public service fo

The federal Liberals plan to spend $1 billion over the next six months so cities and other housing providers can keep people from becoming homeless. The rapid-housing funds can be used to buy properties being sold because of the COVID-19 pandemic, or to build new modular units.The Liberals expect the program will create 3,000 new affordable housing units across Canada.They want all the funds to be committed by the end of March 2021. The funding will be available to municipalities, provinces, territories, Indigenous governing bodies and agencies and non-profit organizations. Social Development

Three law enforcement officials say a woman suspected of sending an envelope containing the poison ricin, which was addressed to White House, has been arrested at the New York-Canada border.The officials say the woman was taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and is expected to face federal charges.RCMP have said the letter addressed to the White House appeared to have originated in Canada.Officials say it was intercepted at a government facility that screens mail addressed to the White House and President Donald Trump and a preliminary investigation indicated it t