Ontario is introducing a $17-billion package to help address the COVID-19 pandemic. The money is meant to support the province's health sector, people and businesses. New spending includes a $1-billion pandemic contingency fund, nearly $1 billion more for hospitals, and $75 million for more personal protective equipment for front-line workers. Measures also include a one-time payment for parents of $200 per child 12 years old and under, doubling payments for low-income seniors and suspending student loan payments for six months. The plan includes both $7 billion in new spending and $10 billio

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won't say if the government plans to activate the Federal Quarantine Act. But Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says as of midnight, people returning to Canada must self quarantine for 14 days. If they don't, they can be fined or arrested, as a Newfoundland woman was yesterday. She is due in court via video link for violating public health emergency orders.

A financial aid package for people struggling to make ends meet after losing their job due to the COVID-19 pandemic has now received royal assent. The 107-billion-dollar package includes $52 billion in cash support. One measure will provide two-thousand-dollars per month for up to four months to workers whose income drops to zero because of the pandemic. Finance Minister Bill Morneau says the benefit should start getting to workers on April 6th. That's as the country-wide number of cases climbed to nearly 33 hundred and the number of deaths rose to 30.

Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says Canadians are getting the message that donating blood is safe. Tam told the Senate today that both Canadian Blood Services and Hema-Quebec have put ``amazing'' systems in place to screen donors for symptoms of COVID-19 before allowing them into the blood donation centres. Tam says Canadians are stepping up and they need to keep it going.

The new benefit for workers losing income because of the COVID-19 pandemic will provide $2,000 a month for up to four months. It's being called the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and is designed to streamline the programs the Liberal government had previously proposed as part their $27 billion in direct support to Canadians.The benefit is part of legislation being studied by Parliament today with the hopes it becomes law this afternoon.The application program for the new benefit should open in early April.

There are 2780 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada. Quebec: 1,013 confirmed (including 4 deaths, 1 resolved) British Columbia: 617 confirmed (including 13 deaths, 173 resolved) Ontario: 588 confirmed (including 7 deaths, 8 resolved) Alberta: 358 confirmed (including 1 death) Saskatchewan: 72 confirmed Nova Scotia: 51 confirmed Newfoundland and Labrador: 4 confirmed, 20 presumptive Manitoba: 11 confirmed, 10 presumptive New Brunswick: 17 confirmed Canadians quarantined at CFB Trenton: 13 confirmed Prince Edward Island: 3 confirmed The Territories: 3 confirmed Total: 2780 (30 presumptive;

Alberta says a second person in the province has died of COVID-19. The woman was a resident at a long-term care centre in Calgary, where two other residents and a staff member have also tested positive for the virus. Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical health officer, says 11 other residents at the facility are also showing symptoms. The province reported 57 new cases today, bringing the total to 358.

Ontario is reporting 85 new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the provincial total to 588. The large increase includes one more death, meaning seven people have now died in the province. Complete information is not listed for most of the new cases, but the latest death is a man in his 90s from Durham Region.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canadians have his ``unwavering commitment'' to uphold the country's democratic principles. The comment follows Opposition anger over draft legislation that promised $82 billion in emergency aid for those struggling the COVID-19 pandemic, but also gave the federal cabinet extraordinary powers to control taxes and spending. Trudeau says the pandemic is moving extremely quickly, which is why the government was looking at measures to respond just as fast. However, he also says Canada has a ``Parliament that works'' and the government is working with opposition