Quebec Premier Francois Legault says 143 more people have died of COVID-19, bringing the provincial total to 630. He says most of the deaths did not occur in the past 24 hours, but have been added the list following a change of data collecting methods by the public health department as well as post-mortem investigations. There were also 997 new cases, for a total of 15,857. Legault said 2,000 doctors responded to his call yesterday to come help in the province's overburdened long-term care homes.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is expanding a loan program for small businesses suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic and is working on a new support for companies having trouble paying rent.The loan program will now be open to businesses that had payrolls last year between $20,000 and $1.5 million.The Canada Emergency Business Account previously offered up to $40,000 in loans to business with payrolls between $50,000 and $1 million.Trudeau also says a program is coming to help businesses cover rents for at least three months but the details still need to be worked ou

WestJet Airlines Ltd. says it will lay off 1,700 pilots as the company continues to struggle with fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.The Air Line Pilots Union says 700 employees received layoff notices effective May 1, with 1,000 more kicking in on June 1, depending on seniority.The layoffs come amid an ongoing collapse of global travel triggered by border shutdowns and tanking demand, with WestJet and Air Canada slashing the vast majority of their flights through April and May.WestJet calls the impact ``colossal'' and says the layoffs are a ``last resort'' that make up part of broader cost re

There are 28,379 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada. Quebec: 14,860 confirmed (including 487 deaths, 2,146 resolved) Ontario: 8,447 confirmed (including 385 deaths, 3,902 resolved) Alberta: 1,996 confirmed (including 48 deaths, 914 resolved) British Columbia: 1,561 confirmed (including 75 deaths, 955 resolved) Nova Scotia: 549 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 137 resolved) Saskatchewan: 304 confirmed (including 4 deaths, 205 resolved) Newfoundland and Labrador: 247 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 149 resolved) Manitoba: 231 confirmed (including 5 deaths, 108 resolved), 15 presumptive New

Alberta is reporting 126 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 1,996 Premier Jason Kenney says there have been no new deaths in the province. So far, 49 Albertans have died as a result of the novel coronavirus. Kenney also announced $53 million in additional funding for mental health and addiction services. Alberta is reporting an outbreak of COVID-19 at an oilsands work site north of Fort McMurray. The province's chief medical officer, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, says three people have tested positive for the illness at Imperial's Kearl work camp.

Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says there is cause for cautious optimism that the COVID-19 epidemic is slowing down. In late March, the number of cases doubled every three days. More recently, it takes about 10 days for the number of cases to double. But Tam says that doesn't mean that Canada can ease up on physical distancing measures. She says coming down the other side of the epidemic curve will be like coming down a mountain in the dark. It must be done carefully and slowly, or the fall will be hard.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says Quebec will not be penalized for being the first province to top up wages for essential workers. The government announced plans to increase wages for essential workers who make less than $2,500 per month, but the details must still be worked out with the provinces. When asked whether Quebec workers would also receive the federal funds, Freeland says Quebec will not be penalized for setting a positive example.

Health Minister Patty Hajdu says the government will be reviewing its practices for equipment near its expiry date in the national emergency stockpile. As reported by the CBC, millions of disposable respirators were destroyed after reaching their expiry dates before the pandemic. Hajdu says the government will look at its practices to see if stockpiled equipment nearing its expiry date can be distributed to provinces who need it, or other countries.

Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says the COVID-19 situation in the United States might have a big impact on what the ``new normal'' looks like after the first wave is under control. She says the first focus is getting Canada's first wave under control. After that, imported cases will be a key risk, and that could mean ongoing travel restrictions to the U.S. and elsewhere.