By Canadian Press

The latest developments on COVID-19 in Canada

Mar 9, 2020 | 7:58 AM

The latest news on the novel coronavirus and the illness dubbed COVID-19 (all times Eastern):

10:47 a.m.

Ontario health officials have announced three new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the total in the province to 34.

One patient, a man in his 50s, recently travelled to Germany, and the other two cases are a man in his 80s and a woman in her 70s who were recently in Iran.

All four of the patients have been released into self-isolation.

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10:38 a.m.

The federal government is asking premiers to identify any critical gaps in supplies or capacity to deal with the novel coronavirus so that Ottawa can help as the number of Canadians with COVID-19 rapidly increases.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland has written the provincial and territorial leaders asking them to inform the federal government of their state of readiness and any shortages by the time first ministers meet Friday in Ottawa.

Freeland says the objective is to ensure a “whole-of-country effort” to be “as prepared as we can be” for the challenges ahead.

In her letter, Freeland notes that the federal government is already leading a bulk procurement of personal protective equipment.

10:21 a.m.

Quebec Health Minister Danielle McCann says the province has designated a first clinic to screen potential COVID-19 patients.

She says the new clinic will open its doors in Montreal today, while two others will open in the Quebec City region and on Montreal’s South Shore in the coming week.

The province currently has two confirmed cases as well as two presumptive cases, which still need to be confirmed by the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg.

10:12 a.m.

The S&P/TSX composite index nose-dived in initial trading as the price of oil collapsed and the loonie plunged against the U.S. dollar.

The collapse at the start of trading triggered circuit breakers on the stock market that temporarily put a halt to trading.

The drop in markets followed similar moves on stock markets in Europe and Asia that came after Saudi Arabia, Russia and other major oil producers failed to agree on cutting output to prop up prices.

The move rattled already volatile stock markets that have been falling amid concerns about the impact COVID-19 on the global economy.

The Canadian Press