Canada is increasing its international aid to help stop COVID-19 by more than $100 million. International Development Minister Karina Gould said Sunday another $109.5 million will be allocated, on top of $50 million the government announced earlier in March. She said $30 million will respond to requests for help from specific countries, $40 million will go to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations co-oridinating the world's efforts to find a vaccine for COVID-19. And $84.5 million will be split between a number of international groups including the World Health Organization,

President Donald Trump is warning that the U.S. is facing the ``toughest'' weeks ahead as the rise in coronavirus cases accelerates. He says,``There will be a lot of death.'' But after the sombre start to his daily briefing on Saturday, he has come back again and again to his desire to get the country open for business. He said, ``We have to open our country again. We don't want to be doing this for months and months and months. This country wasn't meant for this.'' Trump, who met earlier Saturday with the heads of major sports leagues, said he wants to get the fans back in arenas as soon as

The Vancouver Park Board is deploying more than two dozen of its staff to patrol city parks and beaches, making people aware of physical distancing and public etiquette around sharing outdoor space during the COVID-19 pandemic. The board says in a release that the workers will help park rangers who have issued more than 1,400 warnings for people to adhere to the two-metre distance rule. Camil Dumont, chairman of the board, says recreational areas remain open in recognition of the important role outdoor spaces play in health and wellness. However, he says public safety is the highest priority

A cruise ship with 99 Canadians on board has arrived in Miami. Princess Cruises says disembarkation of guests who are fit to fly will begin Sunday. The ship has 97 Canadian passengers and two Canadian crew members. The Coral Princess departed San Antonio on March 5 and was set to end its voyage March 19 in Buenos Aires before the COVID-19 pandemic suspended operations. The ship has been looking for a place to dock since March 13, but no country had allowed it. Princess Cruises has said a dozen people on board have tested positive for COVID-19, while others are experiencing flu-like symptoms.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he plans to talk to U.S. President Donald Trump about White House orders to Minnesota-based 3M to stop exporting its surgical grade face masks. Trudeau says he is not looking at measures that are retaliatory or punitive. Rather, he says the countries can come up with a diplomatic solution. Much of the pulp for the masks that protect against COVID-19 spread comes from a mill in Nanaimo, B.C. He says his message to Trump in the coming days will be that working together benefits both countries.

British Columbia medical health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says she's heartened by a decrease in the number of people being diagnosed with COVID-19. There have been 29 new cases since Friday, and Henry says if the province had continued to see the previous acceleration of about 25 per cent she would have been very concerned. She says the curve in the number of cases in B.C. appears to be flattening, which could allow for health care for those who need help both for COVID-19 and other illnesses. The province has recorded three more deaths for a total of 38 deaths among the 1,203 people diagnosed

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says only essential workers should leave home unless it's for getting groceries or other absolutely necessary reasons. To drive home the message, Ford says another emergency alert will go out on Saturday. Ford says tens of thousands of lives are at stake. Ontario is projecting between 3,000 and 15,000 lives will be lost to the pandemic even with stiff stay-at-home restrictions. Ontario is reporting 27 more deaths from COVID-19. The provincial total is now 94 deaths. Ontario also reports another 375 cases of COVID-19 for a new total of 3,630. The province list

Quebec is announcing 14 more deaths connected to COVID-19, bringing the province's total to 75. Deputy Premier Genevieve Guilbault said today the province recorded another 896 cases of the virus compared with the day prior, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Quebec to 6,997. Guilbault adds that another 49 people have been hospitalized, for a total of 478, including eight more patients in intensive care out of 130 severe cases of the virus. The deputy premier also announced that the province is restricting non-essential travel to two more areas: the region of Charlevoix and the ci

Nurses protested against state government over lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits in hospitals. According to a nurse, there is lack of PPEs in her hospital and also demanded PPE kits for every staff member of the hospital so that they can treat patients without worrying about the COVID-19 infection. The number of coronavirus cases in Punjab rose to over 40. A total of 51 people have been confirmed positive for coronavirus in Punjab and five people have died due to the infection till now, said the state health department on Friday. "The COVID-19 cases surge to 51 in Punjab. Five p