Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says Canadians are getting the message that donating blood is safe. Tam told the Senate today that both Canadian Blood Services and Hema-Quebec have put ``amazing'' systems in place to screen donors for symptoms of COVID-19 before allowing them into the blood donation centres. Tam says Canadians are stepping up and they need to keep it going.

The new benefit for workers losing income because of the COVID-19 pandemic will provide $2,000 a month for up to four months. It's being called the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and is designed to streamline the programs the Liberal government had previously proposed as part their $27 billion in direct support to Canadians.The benefit is part of legislation being studied by Parliament today with the hopes it becomes law this afternoon.The application program for the new benefit should open in early April.

There are 2780 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada. Quebec: 1,013 confirmed (including 4 deaths, 1 resolved) British Columbia: 617 confirmed (including 13 deaths, 173 resolved) Ontario: 588 confirmed (including 7 deaths, 8 resolved) Alberta: 358 confirmed (including 1 death) Saskatchewan: 72 confirmed Nova Scotia: 51 confirmed Newfoundland and Labrador: 4 confirmed, 20 presumptive Manitoba: 11 confirmed, 10 presumptive New Brunswick: 17 confirmed Canadians quarantined at CFB Trenton: 13 confirmed Prince Edward Island: 3 confirmed The Territories: 3 confirmed Total: 2780 (30 presumptive;

Alberta says a second person in the province has died of COVID-19. The woman was a resident at a long-term care centre in Calgary, where two other residents and a staff member have also tested positive for the virus. Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical health officer, says 11 other residents at the facility are also showing symptoms. The province reported 57 new cases today, bringing the total to 358.

Ontario is reporting 85 new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the provincial total to 588. The large increase includes one more death, meaning seven people have now died in the province. Complete information is not listed for most of the new cases, but the latest death is a man in his 90s from Durham Region.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canadians have his ``unwavering commitment'' to uphold the country's democratic principles. The comment follows Opposition anger over draft legislation that promised $82 billion in emergency aid for those struggling the COVID-19 pandemic, but also gave the federal cabinet extraordinary powers to control taxes and spending. Trudeau says the pandemic is moving extremely quickly, which is why the government was looking at measures to respond just as fast. However, he also says Canada has a ``Parliament that works'' and the government is working with opposition

Quebec now has 1,013 confirmed cases of COVID-19, but no additional deaths to report today, with the provincial tally steady at four. Premier Francois Legault says 67 people are hospitalized, including 31 in intensive care. Legault says about 2,500 people are awaiting test results while 12,200 have received negative tests. The premier sought to reassure Quebecers that measures in place to prevent the spread of the virus are temporary and necessary to save lives.

Canada's chief medical health officer says there's now a pretty equal ratio of travel related to community transmission of COVID-19. Dr. Theresa Tam says this represents a fundamental shift in the spread of the virus in Canada. She also notes it's a common misconception that the virus only affects the elderly or people with underlying health issues. She says younger people can get very sick too. Nearly 120,000 Canadians have been tested for the coronavirus, with an average of 10,000 people tested per day.

Ottawa's medical officer of health says the public health authority may use cellphone data to find out whether people really are self-isolating. Dr. Vera Etches says the agency is trying to get a better handle on whether people are following the advice to stay home and away from others. She says one way to do that is with polling, but they are also looking at ways to use ``electronic data'' to see if people are congregating in public spaces or moving about.