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10:53 a.m.

A message from the Queen (on Sunday)

Queen to make televised address to the nation on Sunday after further 684 people die with coronavirus in the UK https://t.co/lG6zIDHl7a — BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) April 3, 2020

10:27 p.m.

Trump administration tells 3M not to send masks to Canada

Minnesota-based 3M says the Trump administration has told it to stop exporting medical-grade face masks – known as N95 respirators – to Canada.

The U.S. government has “requested that 3M cease exporting respirators that we currently manufacture in the United States to the Canadian and Latin American markets,” the company says in a press release this morning.

“There are, however, significant humanitarian implications of ceasing respirator supplies to healthcare workers in Canada and Latin America, where we are a critical supplier of respirators.

“In addition, ceasing all export of respirators produced in the United States would likely cause other countries to retaliate and do the same, as some have already done.

“If that were to occur, the net number of respirators being made available to the United States would actually decrease. That is the opposite of what we and the Administration, on behalf of the American people, both seek.”

10:11 a.m.

Why Canadian projections are complicated

Ontario’s move to release COVID-19 projections this afternoon will put pressure on Ottawa to reveal national figures.

This is from a story this morning from The Canadian Press:

(Health Minister Patty) Hajdu said compiling a national picture of the potential progression of the virus is complicated by the fact that the federal government has to work with data provided by 13 different provincial and territorial governments using a variety of reporting techniques. Ottawa is offering to help those jurisdictions that don’t have the capacity to keep up with the detailed data flow necessary to do accurate modelling, she said.

It’s further complicated by the fact that the trajectory of COVID-19 is different from province to province, with some showing few new cases while the numbers jump “exponentially” elsewhere. As well, the measures each jurisdiction is taking to curb spread of the virus vary widely.

“What it looks like in Ontario is actually completely different than what it might look like in B.C., for example, or Northwest Territories. It’s when you try to pack all that into a national lens that you want to be really careful that you’re not mixing apples and oranges,” Hajdu said.

Projecting a national death rate “wouldn’t really be telling the true picture,” she argued, suggesting it would make more sense to have 13 separate projections for each province and territory.

10:06 a.m.

A message from your vet

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association wants you to know that veterinarians are there if you and your pet need them.

“We’ve had to adjust the way we practice veterinary medicine but, rest assured, we’re doing our utmost to deliver the highest standard of care using adjusted protocols and, where available, telemedicine services,” the association said in a press release today.

“We ask that you help us continue to provide our services by calling ahead before visiting a clinic. And follow the guidance of your provincial health authority if you must leave home with your pet or if you require a veterinarian to visit your farm.”

Visit the CVMA’s COVID-19 page for more information.

9:45 a.m.

Charting Quebec’s lockdown

Google has charted how self-isolation is affecting our movements.

Using aggregated, anonymized data from cell phones, Google created “community mobility reports” for every Canadian province.

“The reports chart movement trends over time by geography, across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential,” Google says.

Below are charts for Quebec.

9:08 a.m.

First death toll projections expected today

Early this afternoon, Ontario is expected to become the first province to release data showing how many people could die of COVID-19 under various scenarios.

“I’m gonna be straight up with people and just tell them exactly what I know,” Premier Doug Ford said yesterday. “It’s gonna be hard for some people to hear but as premier of this province, I have to be upfront with people and I’m going to be, and people are going to see some really stark figures tomorrow.”

Calls for more transparency increased after the U.S. released projections showing between 100,000 and 240,000 Americans could die of COVID-19.

Premier François Legault this week pledged to reveal Quebec projections but did not say when that would happen.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday said Canada may share models and scenarios at some point.

9:05 a.m.

How to go for a walk

Many of you have asked about airborne transmission of the virus, especially the possibility of being infected when walking outside.

McGill University’s Joe Schwarcz has the answers in this column.

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9 a.m.

Across Canada, 11,283 cases, 138 deaths

Here are the numbers of confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 4 a.m.

There are 11,283 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada.

Quebec: 5,518 confirmed (including 36 deaths, 224 resolved)

Ontario: 2,793 confirmed (including 53 deaths, 831 resolved)

British Columbia: 1,121 confirmed (including 31 deaths, 641 resolved)

Alberta: 968 confirmed (including 13 deaths, 174 resolved)

Saskatchewan: 206 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 36 resolved)

Nova Scotia: 193 confirmed (including 16 resolved)

Newfoundland and Labrador: 183 confirmed (including 1 death, 10 resolved)

Manitoba: 152 confirmed (including 1 death, 11 resolved), 15 presumptive

New Brunswick: 91 confirmed (including 22 resolved)

Prince Edward Island: 22 confirmed (including 3 resolved)

Repatriated Canadians: 13 confirmed

Yukon: 6 confirmed

Northwest Territories: 2 confirmed

Nunavut: No confirmed cases

Total: 11,283 (15 presumptive, 11,268 confirmed including 138 deaths, 1,968 resolved)

8:30 a.m.

What’s open and closed in Montreal

We are constantly updating our list ofwhat is open, and mostly what is closed, in Montreal.

8:30 a.m.

Nightly newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter dedicated to local coronavirus coverage here:montrealgazette.com/coronavirusnews

8:30 a.m.

If you have symptoms

Quebecers who think they have symptoms of COVID-19 should call Quebec’s hotline at 1-877-644-4545.

ariga@postmedia.com