A much anticipated new phase in the COVID-19 pandemic starts today with several provinces beginning the process of slowly loosening some of their lockdown restrictions.Quebec, which accounts for more than half of Canada's coronavirus cases, including deaths from the illness, is reopening retail stores outside Montreal while those in the greater Montreal area are to reopen on May 11.Ontario, the other epicentre for the virus, is allowing a small list of mostly seasonal businesses to reopen, including garden centres with curbside pick-ups, lawn care and landscaping companies, and automatic car w

The federal government is investing millions to boost online access to health services and to support a Vancouver biological company's research into treatment and prevention of COVID-19. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the new funding during his daily news conference in Ottawa this morning as provinces across the country prepare to start re-opening on Monday. The government is spending $240 million to boost access to online health services, including mental-health support and virtual access to doctors for primary care. Ottawa is also providing $175 million to AbCellera Biologics Inc.,

There are 55,061 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada. Quebec: 28,648 confirmed (including 2,022 deaths, 6,700 resolved) Ontario: 16,608 confirmed (including 1,121 deaths, 10,825 resolved) Alberta: 5,573 confirmed (including 92 deaths, 2,359 resolved) British Columbia: 2,145 confirmed (including 112 deaths, 1,357 resolved) Nova Scotia: 959 confirmed (including 29 deaths, 592 resolved) Saskatchewan: 415 confirmed (including 6 deaths, 297 resolved) Manitoba: 268 confirmed (including 6 deaths, 235 resolved), 11 presumptive Newfoundland and Labrador: 259 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 230 re

The Canadian Forces says remains recovered in the search for five missing service members off the coast of Greece can't yet be identified. The search for survivors after a maritime helicopter crashed in the Mediterranean Sea formally ended today. The commander of the navy's maritime command, Rear Admiral Craig Baines, told reporters in Halifax today, ``This decision was not taken lightly.'' Six military personnel were aboard the helicopter when it went down Wednesday as it was returning to the Halifax-based frigate, HMCS Fredericton.

Justice Minister David Lametti say no one should try to surrender their assault-style guns while physical distancing is in effect to fight COVID-19. Lametti spoke after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the federal government is banning a range of assault-style guns, with an order that takes effect immediately. Trudeau also announced a two-year amnesty period for current owners of those guns and said there will be a compensation program that will require a bill passed in Parliament.

Dr. Theresa Tam says lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 are just the tip of the iceberg of the actual spread of the illness. She says the total numbers of people who have contracted the novel coronavirus will be clearer, and much larger, once good blood tests for antibodies are available and widespread. The key to containing the pandemic is still keeping the number of cases low enough that severely ill patients don't overwhelm the health system, Tam says. She says Canada is succeeding at that so far and that's more important for now than knowing exactly how many COVID-19 cases are out there.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland is calling on landlords to show compassion to renters facing difficulty meeting their May 1 deadline because of COVID-19 difficulties. She says if a tenant has lost income, now is a good time for a landlord to support their neighbours and their country in a time of crisis. Freeland says it is also a time for banks to be thoughtful about the mortgage payments that landlords must pay.

Ontario is reporting 421 new COVID-19 cases today, and 39 more deaths. The provincial total rose to 16,608 cases, an increase of 2.6 per cent from yesterday. That total includes 1,121 deaths and 10,825 resolved cases. Figures on COVID-19's impact in long-term care homes, which come from a separate database than the provincial numbers, show 26 more residents died in the past day.

Quebec is reporting 163 new deaths because of COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths in the province to 2,020. The province has 28,648 confirmed cases of the virus in the province, but Quebec's public health director says the province will now try to put those fatality numbers in chronological order to determine where they're at with flattening the COVID-19 curve. Dr. Horacio Arruda noted that of the 163 deaths reported today, only 22 date from the past 24 hours, so the province needs to place the deaths according to the date they actually occurred. Arruda says the province will do a r