By Canadian Press

The latest developments on COVID-19 in Canada

Apr 29, 2020 | 9:42 AM

The latest news on the COVID-19 global pandemic (all times Eastern):

12:35 p.m.

The Manitoba government is going to start easing some of its COVID-19-related restrictions starting on Monday by allowing dentists, physiotherapists, retail stores, hair salons and restaurant patios to open at no more than 50 per cent capacity.

Campgrounds, museums, libraries and art galleries will also be allowed to re-open, and all will have to maintain physical distancing among customers.

Travel restrictions and the 10-person limit on public gatherings will remain in place, but Pallister says the crowd limit may be raised later in May if the province’s COVID-19 numbers remain low.

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A second phase will see nail salons, dine-in restaurants and non-contact children’s sports allowed, while mass gatherings such as concerts and big-league sporting events will not happen until September at the earliest.

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12:30 p.m.

The NDP and the Bloc Quebecois say the federal government is being evasive about whether it will provide emergency financial support to companies registered in foreign tax havens.

The two opposition parties have called on the government to deny federal funding to those companies.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government will continue to fight tax evasion and avoidance, and those companies will face severe consequences.

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11:45 a.m.

Nova Scotia is reporting one new death related to COVID-19, bringing the total to 28.

The death occurred at the Northwood long-term care home in Halifax.

The province has also identified 20 new cases of the virus today, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 935.

Nova Scotia has registered 27,486 negative test results, with 11 people currently in hospital, and three of those patients in intensive care.

Health officials say 529 people have now recovered and their cases of COVID-19 are considered resolved.

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11:40 a.m.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is looking at what support it can offer to the Canadian Football League.

League commissioner Randy Ambrosie revealed to The Canadian Press yesterday that the CFL has asked for up to $150 million in assistance due to the pandemic.

The league was supposed to start its regular season on June 11, but has pushed that date back to July at the earliest.

Ambrosie says the league’s long-term future would be in peril if the season was cancelled.

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11:20 a.m.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government plans to provide between $1,000 and $5,000 for students who volunteer to help deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trudeau did not say when the new Canada Student Services Grant will be rolled out, but says specific supports will also be set up for Indigenous students.

The prime minister says the federal government is also planning to extend research grants, fellowships and other support to graduate students and researchers.

The new measures are on top of $9 billion in support for students unveiled last week.

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11:15 a.m.

Newfoundland and Labrador is providing compensation for private sector employers to help pay employees who were required to self-isolate for 14-days due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The assistance includes people who are self-employed.

The maximum amount of funding under the provincial program will be 500 dollars per week for each employee — to a combined maximum of one-thousand dollars per week for each employee when receiving both federal and provincial funding.

The amount paid under the province’s program will depend on the amount of federal funding received.

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11:10 a.m.

The Canadian Armed Forces is deploying its famed Snowbirds aerobatics team on a cross-country tour aimed at boosting morale as Canadians continue to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the planned spectacle this morning as he took a page from the U.S., where the American military’s own flight demonstration teams have been flying over cities in honour of frontline workers and first responders.

The Snowbirds cut their season short last year after one of the Snowbirds’ famous Tutor aircraft crashed on Oct. 13 prior to an air show at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Georgia.

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10:40 a.m.

Ontario is reporting 347 new COVID-19 cases today, and 45 more deaths.

That brings the province to a total of 15,728 cases — a 2.3 per cent increase over the previous day, which is the lowest growth rate in weeks.

More than 60 per cent of the total cases — 9,612 — are ones that have been resolved, and there have been a total of 996 deaths.

In long-term care, there was an increase of 70 deaths to 775, though the numbers come from a separate database from the provincial totals.

The Canadian Press