COVID-19 has caused thousands of temporary layoffs, and massive flight cancellations at Air Canada. The carrier will temporarily lay off more than 15-thousand unionized workers beginning this week. It will also cut between 85 per cent and 90 per cent of its flights. The layoffs will continue through April and May. The two-month furloughs will also affect about one-third of management and administrative and support staff.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is warning of serious consequences for anyone trying to cheat the system as the federal government doles out wage subsidies meant to cushion the blow of the COVID-19 pandemic. Billions of dollars will be going out the door quickly. Trudeau says the wages covered by the system will be capped at 847-dollars a week. Trudeau says companies that can pay their employees without government help should do so and warns them not to game the system and abuse federal financial aid.

The federal government is warning people not to stockpile their prescriptions. It says there could be local shortages of medications if people hoard more than they need. The government has advised pharmacies not to dispense more than necessary, and is monitoring the supply of drugs.

The provincial health officer says British Columbia is at a critical time in the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Bonnie Henry says the next two weeks mark a second incubation period for the disease as she urged people to follow public health advice because the number of cases haven't peaked yet. The province says two more people have died and another 86 people have tested positive for COVID-19 since Saturday. The province has a total 970 cases of the novel coronavirus. British Columbia has had 19 deaths related to COVID-19. Henry says there are also 13 long-term care homes or assisted-living fac

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says the military is getting ready to support COVID-19 mitigation efforts. He says there are up to 24,000 regular and reserve force members prepared to roll out. Sajjan says the work could include direct support to communities or help with logistics. But he says the military has yet to receive a direct request for aid.

Canada's chief public health officer says 220,000 people have been tested for COVID-19. Dr. Theresa Tam says three per cent have been confirmed positive, and 93 per cent confirmed negative. She says of the over 6,000 cases diagnosed so far, seven per cent have required hospitalization, three per cent are critical, and one per cent have been fatal.

Two inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at a maximum-security prison in Quebec, the first confirmed cases involving prisoners in a federal institution. The Correctional Service of Canada says that prior to the two inmates being diagnosed, nine employees who work at Port-Cartier Institution also tested positive for the virus. The service says in a news release all of these employees are in isolation at home and are following direction from local health officials. As of Saturday, 50 tests were conducted on inmates in institutions with 45 negative and two positive results, with three o

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the new wage subsidy program will cover all businesses whose revenue has dropped by at least 30 per cent because of COVID-19. That includes non-profits and charities. Trudeau revealed more details about the previously announced program this morning. He says there is no restriction on the number of employees a company must have in order to qualify. Under the program, the government will cover 75 per cent of salary on the first $58,700 a person earns.

Ontario is reporting a major surge both in the number of new COVID-19 cases in the province as well as those that have been resolved. New government figures show 351 new cases of the virus since yesterday. The government says the massive jump is due in part to clearing a major backlog of tests. But the province, which has changed the way COVID-19 cases are documented, says the number of active cases is actually a bit lower than previously believed, thanks to a huge uptick in the number of cases considered resolved.