The latest news on the COVID-19 global pandemic (all times Eastern):
11:30 a.m.
Justin Trudeau says cushioning the economic impact of the pandemic is the government’s top priority and he’s not worrying too much for now about how to deal with the costs.
He says there will be plenty of time to talk about the longer-term economic recovery later.
Trudeau says the pandemic has revealed problems that hadn’t received enough attention, such as the plight of vulnerable workers, that will also need to be dealt with.
He says the government will think about green measures, the digital economy, poverty and other ways that Canada can “build back better.”
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11:20 a.m.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government will spend $4 billion to top up the wages of essential workers.
He says the provinces and territories will decide how the money gets spent, but it’s meant to help people who are risking their health by working during the COVID-19 pandemic at minimum wage.
Some of the details are still to be worked out with particular provinces, but Trudeau says they know best who deserves the money and how much.
The federal money is three-quarters of the cost, with lower-tier governments kicking in the rest.
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10:45 a.m.
The Defence Minister won’t say how many Canadian Armed Forces members are ill with COVID-19.
Harjit Sajjan says for operational reasons, the military won’t release the number.
Upwards of 1,000 personnel are deployed in long-term care facilities, and hundreds elsewhere in Canada.
Sajjan says the Forces are taking all precautions to protect the health and safety of their members.
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10:35 a.m.
Ontario is reporting 399 new cases of COVID-19 today and 48 more deaths.
That brings the province to a total of 19,121 cases — a 2.1 per cent increase over Wednesday’s total — including 1,477 deaths and 13,569 resolved cases.
The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 and the amount of people in intensive care remained stable, and the number of people on ventilators dropped from 174 to 155.
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9:50 a.m.
Greyhound Canada has announced a temporary shutdown for all of the company’s bussing routes and services effective May 13.
The transportation company says the shutdown in Canada is a result of a 95 per cent drop ridership and lost revenue as a result of COVID-19.
The company says 400 employees will be affected by the closure.
The Canadian Press
