Canada's chief public health officer says random checks will be done to ensure Canadians returning to Canada from abroad are following the new mandatory 14 day quarantine. Dr. Theresa Tam says contact information about travellers will be collected when they arrive at the border to allow for follow up, which could include visits to their homes. She says federal health officials will be working closely with local public health agencies to enforce the mandatory quarantine, which could lead to fines or prison time if breached. Tam also said recent data on COVID-19 cases in Canada show one per cen

A 91 year old man from Quebec's Laurentians region is the eighth person to succumb to COVID-19 in the province. Regional health authorities confirmed the man, who lived in a seniors' home, died Wednesday. Quebec Premier Francois Legault says the province now has 1,629 confirmed cases of COVID-19, an increase of 290 from the day before. Provincial health authorities had confirmed two additional deaths Wednesday, and Montreal's public health department announced later in the day the city's first COVID-19 death.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says any move by the United States to send American soldiers to the border to intercept illegal migrants would be seen as damaging to Canada's relationship with the United States. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed that the two countries are discussing the possibility that U.S. troops could be deployed to the border, which was first reported by Global News. Freeland says Canada has made its position clear at a number of levels, including at the health and political levels that such a step would be unnecessary and not appropriate, given the current

There are 3,409 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada. Quebec: 1,339 confirmed (including 6 deaths, 1 resolved) British Columbia: 659 confirmed (including 14 deaths, 185 resolved) Ontario: 688 confirmed (including 13 deaths, 8 resolved) Alberta: 419 confirmed (including 2 deaths) Saskatchewan: 86 confirmed Nova Scotia: 68 confirmed Newfoundland and Labrador: 4 confirmed, 63 presumptive Manitoba: 25 confirmed, 10 presumptive New Brunswick: 26 confirmed Canadians quarantined at CFB Trenton: 13 confirmed Prince Edward Island: 5 confirmed The territories: 4 confirmed Total: 3,409 (73 presumpt

Ontario is reporting four new COVID-19 deaths, bringing the provincial total to 13. The new figures come as the province saw its largest single-day spike in new cases. There were 100 more COVID-19 cases in the province, bringing the provincial total to 688. Health officials have said increasing numbers are expected as many Canadians return from abroad.

Alberta has reported 61 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total in the province to 419 cases. Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province's chief medical officer, says the cases include a recent outbreak at a care home for developmentally disabled adults. Premier Jason Kenney says police now have full authority to enforce public health orders and issue fines to people who are not self-isolating after travel outside Canada.

Ontario is introducing a $17-billion package to help address the COVID-19 pandemic. The money is meant to support the province's health sector, people and businesses. New spending includes a $1-billion pandemic contingency fund, nearly $1 billion more for hospitals, and $75 million for more personal protective equipment for front-line workers. Measures also include a one-time payment for parents of $200 per child 12 years old and under, doubling payments for low-income seniors and suspending student loan payments for six months. The plan includes both $7 billion in new spending and $10 billio

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won't say if the government plans to activate the Federal Quarantine Act. But Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says as of midnight, people returning to Canada must self quarantine for 14 days. If they don't, they can be fined or arrested, as a Newfoundland woman was yesterday. She is due in court via video link for violating public health emergency orders.

A financial aid package for people struggling to make ends meet after losing their job due to the COVID-19 pandemic has now received royal assent. The 107-billion-dollar package includes $52 billion in cash support. One measure will provide two-thousand-dollars per month for up to four months to workers whose income drops to zero because of the pandemic. Finance Minister Bill Morneau says the benefit should start getting to workers on April 6th. That's as the country-wide number of cases climbed to nearly 33 hundred and the number of deaths rose to 30.