Quebec is announcing it will gradually remove police controls that have been limiting non-essential travel to certain regions. Deputy Premier Genevieve Guilbault says police roadblocks will begin to be removed on May 4 in the Laurentides, Lanaudiere and Chaudiere-Appalaches regions. The Abitibi, Saguenay Lac-St-Jean and Outaouais regions, with the exception of Gatineau, will reopen May 11, while the Bas-St-Laurent, Gaspesie, Iles-de-la Madeleine, Charlevoix and Cote-Nord areas will remove roadblocks on May 18. The province announced 79 new deaths for a total of 1,761, and 837 cases for a t

The Manitoba government says it is going to start easing some of its COVID-19 related restrictions starting Monday.Premier Brian Pallister says dentists and physiotherapists will be allowed to resume services, and retail stores, hair salons and restaurant patios will be able to reopen but at no more than 50 per cent capacity.Campgrounds, museums, libraries and art galleries will also be allowed to open their doors, and all will have to maintain physical distancing among customers.Travel restrictions and the 10-person limit on public gatherings are to remain in place, but Pallister says the lim

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government plans to provide between $1,000 and $5,000 for students who volunteer to help deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.Trudeau did not say when the new Canada Student Services Grant will be rolled out, but says specific supports will also be set up for Indigenous students.The prime minister says the federal government is also planning to extend research grants, fellowships and other support to graduate students and researchers.The new measures are on top of $9 billion in support for students unveiled last week.

A child-care centre in Toronto that looks after children of essential service workers is being shut down for two weeks after an outbreak of COVID-19.Police say three staff at Jesse Ketchum Early Learning and Child Care Centre have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.Two other staff and two children are awaiting test results.The centre is one of seven in the city providing child care for critical workers during the outbreak.

The gunman who killed 22 people across Nova Scotia this month owned a total of four used police cars obtained at auction, including the one he drove in the deadly rampage. Nova Scotia RCMP say Gabriel Wortman collected other police memorabilia, including the genuine RCMP shirt and yellow striped pants he wore April 18th and 19th. The uniform, along with the vehicle outfitted with a light bar and decals to make it look like a genuine police cruiser, allowed the gunman to escape detection during the manhunt. There is no indication police were aware of the collection before the massacre.

Nova Scotia has announced a $380-million loan program to help municipalities with financial losses due to COVID-19. Developed in collaboration with the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities and the Association of Municipal Administrators, the loans will be available through the Nova Scotia Municipal Finance Corporation. Municipal Affairs Minister Chuck Porter says the program will help municipalities continue to deliver programs and services. The Municipal Affairs Department will approve requests from municipalities before sending them to the corporation for final approval.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says six million surgical masks will be shipped to the provinces and territories this week. He says 100,000 face shields are also on the way soon. Trudeau says ensuring workers have the right protective equipment is essential to helping businesses reopen.

The chief public health officer for Canada is giving an update this hour on national projections for the spread of COVID-19. Dr. Theresa Tam says so far, 740,000 tests have been carried out, with about 20,000 people getting tested daily. 7 per cent have tested positive. Tam says the new models are planning tools that allow illness rates to be forecasted in the short term and to allow public health measures to be adjusted.

Nova Scotia is reporting three more deaths related to COVID-19, bringing the province's total to 27. Health officials are also reporting 15 new cases of the virus bringing the total of confirmed cases to 915. The province says the newly reported deaths occurred at the Northwood long-term care home in Halifax, which has been hardest hit by the disease. There are 10 licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors facilities in Nova Scotia with cases of COVID-19, involving 218 residents and 95 staff. Nova Scotia has registered 26,902 negative test results, while 522 people have recovered.