British Columbia still has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country. Health Minister Adrian Dix is reporting 77 new cases bringing the total to 348. That surpasses the 318 being reported in Ontario today. Dix says 22 patients are in acute care and the province will spare no effort to ensure it has the equipment in place to protect health care and other essential workers. BC's provincial health officer is ordering restaurants to cease all operations except take out and delivery to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Dr. Bonnie Henry says she decided on the order because it's cl

There are 1,085 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada. British Columbia: 348 confirmed (including 8 deaths, 5 resolved) Ontario: 318 confirmed (including 2 deaths, 5 resolved) Alberta: 195 confirmed (including 1 death) Quebec: 139 confirmed (including 1 death, 1 resolved) Saskatchewan: 8 confirmed, 18 presumptive Manitoba: 9 confirmed, 8 presumptive Nova Scotia: 5 confirmed, 10 presumptive New Brunswick: 7 confirmed, 4 presumptive Canadians quarantined at CFB Trenton: 10 confirmed Newfoundland and Labrador: 3 confirmed, 1 presumptive Prince Edward Island: 2 confirmed The Territories: No c

The federal government is unveiling a plan to have companies quickly produce supplies of needed medical equipment to cope with the rapidly multiplying cases of COVID-19 across Canada.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the plan will provide support to manufacturers that want to retool their assembly lines to build ventilators, masks and other personal protective gear.And it will also help those already producing the products to quickly scale up.Ottawa has been working in close collaboration with provinces and territories, who deliver health care, to determine where gaps exist in the system and

A union official says Air Canada is laying off more than 5,000 flight attendants as the country's largest airline cuts routes and parks planes due to COVID-19.Wesley Lesosky, who heads the Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), says Air Canada is laying off 3,600 mainline flight attendants as well as all of Air Canada Rouge's 1,549 flight attendants.The layoffs are set to take effect by next month.Air Canada announced Wednesday it will suspend the majority of its international and American flights by the end of the month.Its stock has plummeted 76 per cent in t

British Columbia has recorded an eighth death from COVID-19 as the number of infections climbs to 271 cases. Health Minister Adrian Dix says the latest death is a man who was a resident of the Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver, where six others have died. The province also announced 40 new cases today. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the majority of cases are in the Vancouver Coastal and Fraser health regions. She says precautions everyone must take to protect each other are ``not optional'' but that maintaining social distance must come with keeping a social connecti

The Canada-U.S. border will likely be closed to all non-essential travel in both directions as of Friday night.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the expected timing of the closure Thursday morning after leaders of the two countries revealed details of the plan Wednesday.Both countries have been in talks in recent days to negotiate a mutual ban on recreational travel without restricting the flow of two-way trade and commerce.Essential cross-border workers like health care professionals, air crews and others are to be permitted to cross.Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says it was

A trans-Atlantic cruise ship carrying several COVID-19 cases among its passengers and with dozens of Canadians aboard has docked in the French Mediterranean port city of Marseille.Global Affairs Canada says at least 77 Canadians are on the Costa Luminosa.The ship has more than 1,400 passengers.French authorities have allowed the ship to stay for up to four days under strict conditions.It is not known whether passengers will be allowed off, given the current stringent restrictions imposed in France amid the coronavirus pandemic.Global Affairs Canada has said officials are standing ready to pro

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has announced 45 new cases of COVID-19 in BC bringing the total to 231. Dr. Bonnie Henry says most are at home in self isolation and there have been no additional deaths. But Henry says it's extremely important that people and businesses follow social distancing rules aimed at slowing the spread of the virus. She says legal orders are a measure of last resort but people are expected to follow voluntary recommendations to stay a safe distance away from each other.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the Liberal government is going to provide $27 billion in direct support to Canadian workers and businesses to help them get through the economic crisis sparked by the COVID-19 outbreak. There will also be $55 billion to help Canadians meet liquidity needs through tax deferrals. There will be an emergency care benefit for those for those who fall ill, need to self-isolate or have to take care of family member with COVID-19 but fail to qualify for employment insurance. There will be an emergency support benefit for those who lose their jobs and don't qualify f