The total number of coronavirus positive cases in India reached 74,281 on Wednesday, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The tally is inclusive of 47,480 active cases, 24,385 cured/discharged patients and 2,415 deaths due to the infection. While the doubling time earlier was 10.9 days, it has improved to 12.2 in the last few days. According to MoHFW, Maharashtra has the most number of positive COVID-19 cases with 24,427 positive cases, followed by Gujarat with 8,903, and Tamil Nadu with 8,718 cases. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan today held a meeting via video conference with

There are 72,278 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada. Quebec: 39,931 confirmed (including 3,220 deaths, 10,470 resolved) Ontario: 21,236 confirmed (including 1,765 deaths, 15,845 resolved) Alberta: 6,407 confirmed (including 120 deaths, 5,076 resolved) British Columbia: 2,376 confirmed (including 132 deaths, 1,859 resolved) Nova Scotia: 1,024 confirmed (including 51 deaths, 870 resolved) Saskatchewan: 577 confirmed (including 6 deaths, 385 resolved) Manitoba: 278 confirmed (including 7 deaths, 251 resolved), 12 presumptive Newfoundland and Labrador: 261 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 24

British Columbia has announced details on how it plans to spend $120 million in federal funds earmarked for cleaning up inactive oil and gas well sites across the province. Premier John Horgan says restoring more than 2,000 inactive oil and gas wells would support upwards of 1,200 jobs in B.C. The federal government announced $120 million for cleaning up so-called orphan wells in B.C. in mid-April, money the province says it intends to spend on three new programs once a final agreement is reached with Ottawa. B.C. says up to $100 million would be used to reclaim wells that have been inacti

Provincial health official Doctor Bonnie Henry says the response to a COVID-19 survey launched by the province yesterday has been outstanding. Dr. Henry says 75,000 people had provided input by noon today on their experiences during the pandemic. She says the province wants information from a lot of people in order to understand the unintended consequences of public health measures put in place to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Henry reported 16 new cases of COVID-19 today and one new death, bringing the total to 2,376 cases with 132 fatalities.

Metro Vancouver Transit Police say a suspect in an alleged violent attack against a woman on a bus died of an apparent drug overdose a week after the incident in April. Police appealed to the public for help identifying the man on Tuesday. On Wednesday, they said he has been identified as a 48 year old Vancouver resident with no fixed address. Transit police say the suspect boarded a bus in the Downtown Eastside on April 15 and made remarks towards two Asian women who got on wearing masks. Police said in a statement on Tuesday that he stated ``words to the effect of 'Go back to your country;

Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says whether you should be wearing a mask in public depends on what's happening in your community and what you're doing. She says masks are beneficial in areas with community transmission of COVID-19, and in areas where it's difficult to stay away from others. That includes in certain stores and on public transit. But she says mandatory mask rules could disadvantage vulnerable people who can't afford or get access to one. "Canada will use a newly-approved antibody test" Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says Canada will use a newly-approve

Quebec is reporting 89 new deaths related to COVID-19 today, bringing the toll to 3,220. Premier Francois Legault says the province now has 39,931 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, an increase of 706 cases. Legault says the province continues to miss its testing target of 14,000 tests per day, and is only able to administer 9,000 per day. The premier is once again urging people to wear masks when they leave the house, but says the government won't make wearing them mandatory for now.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says all Canadians should have access to two weeks of sick leave benefits as provinces start moving to reopen their economies. He says they will otherwise face an impossible choice of staying home to protect others from infection or being able to pay their bills. He says the government should cover the sick leave though the Canada Emergency Response Benefit or the employment insurance system. Singh says he will put the proposal forward as a motion in the House of Commons. The federal government declined to include the proposal its unanimous consent motion today, but E

Students and recent graduates will be able to apply for financial relief from the federal government on Friday.The Canada Emergency Student Benefit will provide students $1,250 per month for up to four months, with an extra $750 for students with disabilities or dependents.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says students should preemptively create an account with the Canada Revenue Agency.The federal government is launching the regional relief recovery fund for businesses that don't qualify for other federal relief programs during the COVID-19 crisis.Several weeks ago, the government announced almo