Read The Star’s live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here. This story is no longer updating.

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11:20 p.m.: Global Affairs Canada says at least 77 Canadians are on a trans-Atlantic cruise ship that has several COVID-19 cases among its passengers.

Costa Luminosa, which has more than 1,400 people on board, is heading for the French Mediterranean port of Marseille.

11 p.m.: Ontario is closing provincial parks in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks says it decided to shutter the parks until April 30 to protect the health of employees and visitors.

10:04 p.m.: Toronto police have confirmed a civilian member of the force has tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

A police spokesperson confirmed to the Star late Wednesday that a civilian member tested positive for the disease.

“We have been actively working with the appropriate public health authorities who are conducting an in-depth investigation related to the individual and their contacts,” said Toronto police spokesperson Meaghan Gray.

“This member does not work in a public-facing role within the Service.”

9:30 p.m.: There are 727 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada. Here are the numbers by province: Ontario: 214 (including 1 death) 5 resolved; British Columbia: 231 confirmed (including 7 deaths) 5 resolved; Alberta: 119 confirmed; Quebec: 94 confirmed (including 1 death); Canadians quarantined at CFB Trenton: 9 confirmed; Manitoba: 13 confirmed, 4 presumptive; New Brunswick: 2 confirmed, 9 presumptive; Saskatchewan: 2 confirmed, 14 presumptive; Nova Scotia: 3 confirmed, 9 resumptive; Prince Edward Island: 1 confirmed; Newfoundland and Labrador: 3 presumptive.

9:20 p.m.: The federal government is lifting COVID-19 travel restrictions on migrant farm workers coming to Canada, relieving industry fears that the national response to the pandemic could threaten the nation’s food supply.

In an email to Ontario’s agricultural sector, obtained by The St. Catharines Standard, Ernie Hardeman, Ontario’s minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, said the workers will not face the same restrictions placed on other travellers to Canada.

“Temporary foreign workers will be exempt from travel restrictions ... great news for our agriculture sector,” Hardeman wrote in the Wednesday email. Hardeman’s email references a Wednesday announcement by federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair, but Ottawa did not publicly disclose the plans.

Federal sources told The Standard that while Ottawa intends to let the workers come to Canada, Hardeman’s email “jumped the gun” as several details have yet to be determined.

According to federal sources familiar with the issue who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Ottawa needs to finalize negotiations with the United States because most of those workers come from Mexico and Central America and will likely cross American borders to reach Canada.

9:05 p.m.: New Zealand’s government has advised citizens not to travel overseas due to the coronavirus and said those already offshore should consider coming home immediately.

“We are raising our travel advice to the highest level: do not travel,” Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement. “This is the first time the New Zealand government has advised New Zealanders against traveling anywhere overseas. That reflects the seriousness of the situation we are facing with COVID-19.”

Peters also urged all New Zealanders currently travelling overseas to consider returning home immediately. “Borders are closing. You may not be able to return to New Zealand when you had planned to.”

8:54 p.m.: Playboy magazine has halted its print edition in North America, citing the COVID-19 pandemic as one reason.

Playboy Enterprises Inc. CEO Ben Kohn posted the corporation’s reason for discontinuing the print magazine launched by Hugh Hefner in 1953 in a statement posted Wednesday on medium.com: “Last week, as the disruption of the coronavirus pandemic to content production and the supply chain became clearer and clearer, we were forced to accelerate a conversation we’ve been having internally: the question of how to transform our U.S. print product to better suit what consumers want today,” he wrote.

Kohn said the magazine’s spring 2020 issue now reaching newsstands will be the last for now, though special print editions are a part of Playboy’s future. The company that gained fame through the men’s magazine and its racy pictorials will continue to be an online presence and an important brand for merchandise, he stated.

8:26 p.m.: Alberta is launching measures to help people stay financially afloat during the COVID-19 crisis, including $50 million right away for those self-isolating.

Premier Jason Kenney says the money equals $573 for each person who meets the criteria for self-isolation, and is meant to be a bridge equivalent to an employment insurance payment until new federal aid begins April 1.

It was one of a range of measures announced by Kenney on Wednesday, including extension of tax deadlines, delays in paying utility bills, loan payment deferrals and more capital for small business owners.

Alberta reported 22 new cases of novel coronavirus on Wednesday to bring the total to 119 and the national total to 727 as of 8:20 p.m. EDT.

7:54 p.m.: Dozens of crew members and passengers aboard the Costa Luminosa cruise ship are recorded as sick as the ship nears France in hopes of docking there Thursday, according to ship logs obtained by the Miami Herald.

The cruise ship, owned by Miami-based Carnival Corporation, has left three people diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in two countries — Puerto Rico and the Cayman Islands — since it departed Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on Feb. 24. The cruise was originally supposed to end in Venice, Italy, on March 25 but is now scheduled to dock in Marseilles on Thursday after bypassing several ports.

Passengers and crew members on board say they are nervous about what will happen when they arrive in France. President Emanuel Macron announced a 15-day lockdown of the country on Tuesday prohibiting all nonessential outings.

At least 24 crew members on board the ship are classified as sick and are isolated, according to ship logs obtained by the Herald, and at least 50 passengers are classified as sick, or are roommates of passengers who are classified as sick.

There are currently 1,427 passengers on board.

6:56 p.m.: The Canadian Press calculates that there are now 705 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada. British Columbia, which announced a state of emergency on Wednesday, leads with 231 confirmed (including 7 deaths, 5 resolved) after 45 new cases were announced Wednesday afternoon.

Other provincial totals as of 6:45 p.m.: Ontario: 214 confirmed (including 1 death and 5 resolved); Alberta: 97 confirmed; Quebec: 94 confirmed (including 1 deaths); Manitoba: 13 confirmed, 4 presumptive; Saskatchewan: 2 confirmed, 14 presumptive; Nova Scotia: 3 confirmed, 9 presumptive; New Brunswick: 2 confirmed, 9 presumptive; Canadians quarantined at CFB Trenton: 9 confirmed; Newfoundland and Labrador: No confirmed cases, 3 presumptive; Prince Edward Island: 1 confirmed.

6:34 p.m.: Newfoundland and Labrador declared a public health emergency Wednesday, making previous recommendations from the province’s chief medical officer of health enforceable by law.

Under the order, businesses including bars, cinemas, theatres, gyms and arenas must close effective immediately and gatherings of more than 50 people are not permitted. Travellers returning from international travel are ordered to self-isolate for 14 days.

Health Minister John Haggie said individuals breaching the orders could be fined between $500 and $2,500 and could face jail sentences of up to six months. Possible fines for corporations range up to $50,000.

Haggie said the order is for two weeks but he anticipates the order will be renewed “multiple times.”

6:31 p.m.: As the U.S. shortage of face masks becomes severe, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says nurses can use bandanas and scarves as makeshift masks when caring for COVID-19 patients — although it’s unclear whether they would protect medical workers.

The CDC says that option should be used “as a last resort” and only when the hospital nearly depletes its supply and experiences a crush of COVID-19 patients, reaching “crisis capacity.” The CDC acknowledges that its recommendations are out of step with standards of care in the United States.

Nurses and other health care providers can “use homemade masks (e.g., bandana, scarf) for care of patients with COVID-19,” the CDC website now reads. The agency says in the next sentence that the homemade masks’ capability to protect health care providers against the coronavirus-caused disease “is unknown.”

6:30 p.m.: Manitoba has announced two new cases of COVID-19. That brings the total to 17 — including four that are still presumptive.

The new cases are a woman in her 50s and a man in his 70s who both live in Winnipeg. Officials say they appear to be travel-related.

6:12 p.m.: Ontario announced two more COVID-19 cases on Wednesday afternoon, bringing its daily total to 25 and the overall provincial total to 214.

The two new cases were a man in his 50s from the Niagara region and a woman in her 80s from Chatham-Kent; both had been travelling internationally and that is presumed to be the source of their illness.

5:25 p.m.: The TTC has reversed its prohibition against its employees wearing face masks during the COVID-19 outbreak, and will now let workers who wish to use the devices do so.

The transit agency had previously rejected calls to let workers who have daily contact with hundreds of passengers to wear the masks, arguing that Toronto Public Health officials have advised against healthy people doing so because they may increase the risk of infection, “as they can lead to individuals touching their face more often than necessary.”

But on Wednesday the agency issued a news release saying “TTC employees who choose to wear their own masks while working will be permitted” to use them.

5:41 p.m.: The Metro grocery retailer announced Wednesday that its Metro and Food Basics chains in Ontario, as well as Metro Plus, Super C, and Marche Richelieu banners in Quebec, will cut their hours, opening at 8 a.m. and closing at 8 p.m. daily — an hour or two earlier than is usual in most Toronto locations.

“This measure will allow our teams to restock the stores, apply the hygiene measures in effect and, of course, give our employees the chance to rest during this hectic period,” spokeswoman Marie-Claude Bacon wrote in an email.

Grocery stores are considered an essential service at this time and expected to remain open, whereas non-essential services, like clothing retailers, have been closing their doors to help prevent further spread of the coronavirus.

Adonis supermarkets will close one hour earlier on weekends, while Quebec’s The Premiere Moisson bakeries will close at 6 p.m. daily.

5:24 p.m.: Ontario’s Beer Store is reducing hours at its more than 400 stores and pausing recycling until March 31.

The chain’s locations will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, as of March 19. (Stores that operate from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. are unaffected.) Sunday hours remain unchanged.

The Beer Store says it’s also suspending the return of empty bottles and cans effective March 19, through to March 31. The chain noted in a news release that its Beer Xpress home delivery and in-store pick up are available in select communities, including most of the GTA.

5:19 p.m.: Toyota has told the Star’s Sara Mojtehedzadeh that it is temporarily suspending manufacturing across North America in response to the outbreak, as both a health precaution and to reflect anticipated decline in demand.

Manufacturing facilities will be closed from March 23-24, resuming production on March 25, Toyota says. The company says it will conduct a thorough cleaning at all of manufacturing facilities during the shutdown, and let employees prepare/adjust family plans.

5:00 p.m.: Saskatchewan has declared a provincial state of emergency to give it broader powers to address the COVID-19 pandemic, shortly after it announced that its number of cases had doubled from 8 to 16.

The government has prohibited public gatherings of more than 50 people. Gyms, fitness centres, casinos and bingo halls are ordered to close until further notice.

The Northwest Territories’ health minister, meanwhile, has declared a public health emergency, joining the other two territories although none have any confirmed cases of COVID-19.

4:48 p.m.: The latest numbers of confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases in Canada, via the Canadian Press as of 4:10 p.m.: There are 655 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada (594 confirmed, 9 deaths, 10 resolved, 42 presumptive). Ontario: 212 confirmed (including 1 death, 5 resolved). British Columbia: 186 confirmed (including 7 deaths, 5 resolved. Alberta: 97 confirme. Quebec: 94 confirmed (including 1 death. Saskatchewan: 2 confirmed, 14 presumptive. Manitoba: 8 confirmed, 7 presumptive. Nova Scotia: 3 confirmed, 9 presumptive. New Brunswick: 2 confirmed, 9 presumptive. Canadians quarantined at CFB Trenton: 8 confirmed. Newfoundland and Labrador: No confirmed cases, 3 presumptive. Prince Edward Island: 1 confirmed. The Territories: No confirmed cases.

4:43 p.m.: North American stock indexes plunged, crude oil prices dropped more than 20 per cent and the loonie fell to a five-year low as COVID-19 fears continued to rattle markets.

The S&P/TSX composite index in Toronto closed down 963.79 points or 7.6 per cent at 11,721.42 following a temporary pause that happened earlier after market circuit breakers were tripped.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average closed down 1,388.46 points at 19,898.92. The S&P 500 index was down 131.09 points at 2,398.10, and the Nasdaq composite fell 344.94 points to 6,989.84.

The Canadian dollar lost 2.2 per cent, trading for 68.98 cents US compared with an average of 70.55 cents US on Tuesday.

The May crude contract dropped to its lowest level since at least 2003 by falling US$6.50 or nearly 24 per cent to US$20.83 per barrel.

3:54 p.m.: The city’s medical officer of health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, says there are seven new COVID-19 cases in Toronto. Adds that there is an increase in local transmission with a total of 11 cases, up from three, under investigation.

3:52 p.m.: A senior City of Toronto official overseeing emergency management is out of his job as of Wednesday amid the escalating COVID-19 crisis.

Charles Jansen, director of the Office of Emergency Management is, effective immediately, “no long with the City of Toronto,” Tracey Cook, a deputy city manager, wrote to a Toronto city council member Wednesday morning in an email obtained by the Star.

“Please treat Charles as a visitor should he attend any City facilities. I wish Charles all the best in his future endeavours.”

City spokesperson Brad Ross said Jansen oversaw the day-to-day function of the Office of Emergency Management, reporting to Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg, who has overall responsibility and accountability for emergency response at the city.

Pegg, apparently addressing concerns about the official who was fired, reiterates he is in charge and has been since earlier this year.

3:49 p.m.: Saskatchewan says it has eight additional cases of COVID-19, doubling the number of its cases to 16.

Officials say in a news release that there are two confirmed cases and 14 presumptive positives.

Chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab says one case has not yet been linked to travel.

“We will also see more cases linked to travel within Canada,” he said in a news release. “Limit all non-essential travel at this time as part of the provincial and national effort to prevent transmission.”

The government says 15 of the 16 people are well enough to self-isolate at home. One is in hospital for reasons not related to the positive COVID-19 test.

3:35 p.m.: Solicitor General Mike Farnworth is declaring a state of emergency in British Columbia to allow the preservation of supply chains delivering groceries and other essential items.

The move follows Tuesday’s declaration of a public health emergency in B.C. over COVID-19.

Farnworth says it will also mean a quicker, co-ordinated response between federal, provincial and local governments, calling it an “all hands on deck” approach.

3:04 p.m.: The CBC temporarily scrapped most of its local TV newscasts to consolidate resources at CBC News Network amid the COVID-19 crisis on Wednesday.

The public broadcaster said starting Wednesday, it won’t be airing local TV newscasts across the country, with the exception of CBC North.

A statement said CBC News Network will instead be the “core live breaking-news service” and replace all the other local supper-hour and late-night newscasts across the country on CBC and CBC Gem.

Local coverage will continue on radio, digital and social media.

Prince Edward Island Premier Dennis King said he was “incredibly disappointed” in the move.

“With the health and safety of Islanders at the forefront, it is vital that we continue to share the latest information with Islanders in real time,” King said in a statement.

3 p.m.: Yukon’s chief medical officer has declared a public health emergency.

Dr. Brenda Haley says all public schools will be closed at least until April 15, as are public recreational facilities.

All three Yukon hospitals are closed to visitors, with some exceptions.

The territory has no confirmed cases of COVID-19.

2:57 p.m.: Experts are urging Canadians not to get discouraged if the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise rapidly in the coming days, despite the measures taken by society to slow the spread.

An infectious disease specialist at Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital says that, because it takes five to seven days for people to show symptoms plus more time for testing, it will take about two weeks for social distancing efforts to show any impact.

Dr. Matthew Oughton says until then, he expects the number of new cases to continue to rise rapidly — even exponentially — due to the contagious nature of the virus.

Dr. Isaac Bogoch of the University of Toronto believes measures such as closing schools, eliminating travel and asking people to stay home and keep their distance will eventually be successful in slowing the rate of infection.

2:49 p.m.: Confronting twin health and economic crises, President Donald Trump said Wednesday he will invoke emergency powers to marshal critical medical supplies against a coronavirus pandemic threatening to overwhelm hospitals and other treatment centres.

Trump described himself as a “wartime president” as virus cases surged and the markets fell, and he took a series of extraordinary steps to steady a battered nation, its day-to-day life fundamentally altered.

Most immediately, Trump said he would employ the Defence Production Act as needed, giving the government more power to steer production by private companies and try to overcome shortages in masks, ventilators and other supplies.

The Senate was taking up a financial aid package while the administration pushed forward its economic relief plan, which proposes $500 billion in cheques to millions of Americans, with the first checks to come April 6 if Congress approves the plan.

2:40 p.m.: Newfoundland and Labrador has declared a public health emergency, making previous recommendations from the province’s chief medical officer of health enforceable by law.

There are three presumptive cases of COVID-19 in the province.

Under the order, businesses including bars, cinemas, theatres, gyms and arenas must close effective immediately and gatherings of more than 50 people are not permitted.

Travellers returning from international travel are ordered to self-isolate for 14 days.

2:40 p.m.: Nunavut’s chief medical officer of health is asking anyone who has returned from outside the territory to self-isolate for 14 days.

Dr. Michael Patterson says the request extends to people who were travelling in other parts of Canada.

Family members of those under self-isolation are asked to monitor themselves for symptoms and limit contact with other people.

Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and Yukon have no confirmed cases of COVID-19.

2:20 p.m.: The City of Toronto announces it’s suspending the collection of yard waste until April 6. Residents can drop off yard waste at any of the city’s seven drop-ff Depots in the meantime.

2:15 p.m.: Premier Doug Ford said Ontario manufacturers have offered to switch production to important medical equipment if asked.

2:10 p.m.: Ford says he has been assured “trade and commerce” will continue to flow with the U.S. when the border is shut down to non-essential travel. Ford said he is “very pleased” with PM Justin Trudeau’s relief efforts and thanks him for his leadership on the COVID-19 battle.

2:01 p.m.: Africa should “prepare for the worst” as the coronavirus begins to spread locally, the World Health Organization’s director-general said Wednesday, while South Africa became the continent’s new focus of concern as cases nearly doubled to 116 from two days before.

South Africa’s health minister, Zweli Mkhize, this week called that kind of rate “explosive” in the country with the most cases in sub-Saharan Africa. Fourteen of the latest cases were from local transmission — and six were in children under 10.

Though the pandemic is in its early days on the continent, health experts have warned that even facilities in Africa’s richest nation could be overwhelmed by the virus’ spread.

2 p.m.: Canada’s top public-health doctor says to expect the virus that causes COVID-19 to stick around for a long time.

Dr. Theresa Tam says we need to be prepared for more than one wave of the novel coronavirus.

She says we don’t know whether COVID-19 will fade and resurge as seasons pass.

But Tam says we can expect to learn a great deal from the current fight and get better and better prepared.

1:45 p.m.: New Brunswick has announced three new presumptive cases of COVID-19.

They bring the number of presumptive and confirmed cases in the province to 11.

Chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russel, says the new cases include a woman between 60 and 70 years old who had recently been on a cruise and a man in the same age range who had recent contact with a traveller.

The third patient is a woman between the ages of 50 and 60 who had travelled to the U.K.

1:26 p.m.: Quebec is reporting its first death from COVID-19.

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Premier Francois Legault says the death was an elderly person from the Lanaudiere region, northeast of Montreal.

Dr. Horacio Arruda, Quebec’s director of public health, said the person had been in contact with people who had recently travelled.

Legault says the province now has 94 confirmed cases, of which six are hospitalized and four are in intensive care.

1:20 p.m.: Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says the federal government is working “very energetically” with the U.S. to figure out exactly when the Canada-U.S. border will close to non-essential travellers.

Freeland nonetheless says it is a matter of days — or hours.

She also has a clear message for anyone thinking of crossing the border as a tourist even before the action is taken: don’t do it.

1:15 p.m.: Ontario legislature will begin an “emergency sitting” Thursday at 1 p.m. to pass two laws protecting workers caught in the COVID-19 outbreak. Government house leader’s office says unanimous consent is expected. Only 24 MPPs coming to maintain social distancing.

1 p.m.: Quebec’s director of public health is urging the public not to use masks to ward off COVID-19. Dr. Horacio Arruda says these important resources should be reserved for medical personnel and people suffering from the disease. In a video published today online, Arruda asks Quebecers to stick to the advice from health authorities — notably washing their hands.

Arruda says the mask is reserved for treatment so that someone who is sick doesn’t contaminate others.

He says the use of masks in the general population for prevention purposes could cause a shortage in the health network.

Quebec currently has 74 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and has increased testing clinics across the province in recent days.

12:57 p.m.: There have been 13,897 people in Ontario tested for COVID-19, the latest figures show — and 10,305 have tested negative for the virus.

Of the 23 new positive cases announced today, at least 16 were related to travel.

Most of those people have a recent travel history to places such as the United States, the Carribean, Mexico, and Europe, or they are close contacts of other confirmed cases.

Three of the 23 cases did not include any information about where patients were from nor how they got the virus. All are self-isolating. But 3,379 cases are still under investigation. Five patients have recovered, while one person with COVID-19 has died in Ontario.

12:52 p.m. Detroit’s three automakers have agreed to close all of their factories due to worker fears about the coronavirus. Automakers are expected to release details of the closure later in the day. The decision reverses a deal worked out late Tuesday in which the automakers would cancel some shifts so they could thoroughly cleanse equipment and buildings, but keep factories open. But workers, especially at some Fiat Chrysler factories, were still fearful and were pressuring the union to seek full closures.

12:45 p.m.: Ontario reporting that it is experiencing technical issues with the Telehealth line. Residents are asked to contact their local public health unit for immediate support while they work on the problem.

12:40 p.m.: Ontario announces that it has 23 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the province’s total to 212. All are now listed as self-isolating.

12:40 p.m.: Finance Minister Bill Morneau says the government is hoping to roll out the direct economic aid within three weeks.

He says if it can be done earlier than that, it will be.

He says the government is working to find ways to make sure delivery of the plan works.

12:40 p.m. Nova Scotia now has three confirmed cases and nine presumptive cases of COVID-19.

Five new cases were identified today.

Four of the cases are travel-related and one is connected to an earlier case.

The 12 individuals affected range in age from early 30’s to mid-70’s.

They are all in self-isolation and recovering at home.

12:25 p.m.: Rogers is offering unlimited home Internet until May 31, and some free TV channels to their customers. Canadians have been urged to stay at home if they can during the COVID‑19 pandemic.

11:50 a.m. Finance Minister Bill Morneau says Canadians will now have until June 1 to file taxes. And if the Canada Revenue Agency determines individuals or corporations owe any taxes, they will have until Sept. 1 to pay them. He says he has also been speaking with banks about finding ways to help Canadians through this difficult time, including six-month deferrals for mortgage payments and allowing people to skip a payment on their credit cards. Morneau is encouraging Canadians to speak directly with their banks about the support they need.

11:45 a.m. Canada’s main stock index wiped out gains made Tuesday while the loonie dropped below the 70 cents US mark as COVID-19 fears continued to rattle markets.The S&P/TSX composite index was down 677.03 points or 5.3 per cent at 12,008.18. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 1,393.10 points or 6.3 per cent at 19,844.28. The S&P 500 index was down 154.98 points at 2,374.51, while the Nasdaq composite was down 372.12 points at 6,962.36. The Canadian dollar traded for 68.82 cents US compared with an average of 70.55 cents US on Tuesday.

11:15 a.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is confident that parliamentarians of all political stripes will work together to pass the legislation.

He says Government House Leader Pablo Rodriguez and Sen. Marc Gold, the government’s representative in the upper chamber, are working with the opposition parties.

Trudeau, who is in self-isolation after his wife tested positive for COVID-19, says he is feeling well.

He says his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, has flu-like symptoms, including a headache and intermittent fever, but she is otherwise doing well.

11 a.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is not keeping any options off the table.

Trudeau says his government is looking at using the Emergencies Act, but he recognizes that would be a major step he does not think is necessary today.

Trudeau gave this response when asked whether his government was looking at restricting travel within Canada.

10:55 a.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the $82-billion economic package also includes a wage subsidy for small-business owners to help keep staff on the payroll during the slowdown.

The federal government is planning to boost the Canada Child Benefit to help parents cover the cost of child care or other impacts of having to at home.

Other measures include a GST credit for low-income Canadians, boosting support for shelters to help those escaping gender-based violence and a six-month moratorium on student loan repayments.

10:52 a.m.: Trudeau: there will be a six-month, interest-free moratorium on student loans and more help for the homeless and other vulnerable people, including victims of domestic violence who can’t self-isolate at home.

10:50 a.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says temporary wage subsidies will be provided to businesses to keep employees on the payroll. Income tax deadlines extended to August. Child care benefit will also be boosted for families.

10:45 a.m.: Trudeau announces $82 billion rescue package.

Plans to give businesses $10 billion in credit to help them “bridge” tough times. Including that money, there will be $27 billion in direct support to Canadians plus $55 billion in tax deferrals. Cheques will be paid to many people every two weeks.

Ottawa introducing emergency care benefit to workers who have to stay home due to COVID-19 and don’t quality for EI.

10:40 a.m.: Trudeau confirms Canada and the U.S. will “temporarily restrict” border crossings. No non-essential travel.

10:25 a.m.: Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation is immediately suspending all strike sanctions indefinitely. This includes the withdrawal of administrative services in place since Nov. 26. Rotating strikes cancelled. Schools are closed till at least April.

10:15 a.m.: Porter Airlines is temporarily suspending flights, starting at the end of the day Friday, with plans to resume service on June 1. “In order to get you home safely ASAP, we’ve waived our change/cancellation fees.”

10 a.m.: President Donald Trump is confirming that the Canada-U.S. border will be closed “by mutual consent” to non-essential traffic.

Trump, who disclosed the news on Twitter, says trade will not be affected and more details will be forthcoming.

Sources in Ottawa say both sides have been in talks to limit travel in both directions across the border without restricting the all-important flow of trade and commerce between the two countries at a time when the global economy is under severe pressure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Discussions have been focused on determining which essential workers might be exempted — a group that could include mission-critical truck drivers, airline crew members and health-care workers who live and work on opposite sides of the border.

Officials in the Prime Minister’s Office said Tuesday there would also likely be a temporary exemption for Canadians who winter in the southern U.S. in order to give them time to get home.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says nearly 200,000 people cross the Canada-U.S. border every day, and many of them are vitally important to the health and economic welfare of both countries.

9:45 a.m. U.S. President Donald Trump tweets: “We will be, by mutual consent, temporarily closing our Northern Border with Canada to non-essential traffic. Trade will not be affected.” More details to come.

9:30 a.m.: Ikea Canada and stores worldwide are closing all store locations to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Home delivery and pick-up between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. will remain open online at Ikea.ca. The company says they will support their 7,300 workers through our comprehensive benefits package and paid leave policy

8:45 a.m.: Finance Minister Bill Morneau and the head of the Bank of Canada are promising details of the federal government’s economic supports to see the country through the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic.

They’re due to speak on Parliament Hill right after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appears outside his home at 10:30 a.m., where he’s in self-isolation, to explain what the government will do for workers and businesses struck by restrictions on travel, outings and public gatherings.

Private forecasters say Canada is in for a recession as a result of the pandemic unless governments move fast and hard to reassure Canadians that the blows to their finances will be cushioned.

8:30 a.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office says he’ll speak at 10:30 ET this morning to update the country on what the federal government is doing about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yesterday he said to expect imminent announcements about supports for the economy, workers and businesses hit by border shutdowns and bans on public gatherings.

Canada and the United States are also working on the terms of restricting traffic crossing between them while allowing trade and other essential trips.

8:21 a.m.: Canada’s big banks are offering some financial breathing room to customers hurt by the steps taken to slow the spread of COVID-19.

The big six banks say they will allow customers to defer mortgage payments for up to six months among other changes.

They are urging Canadians or business owners facing hardship to contact their bank directly to discuss options that may be available.

The banks are temporarily limiting branch operating hours and reducing the number of branches, while maintaining critical services.

8:08 a.m.: Iran reported its single biggest jump in deaths from the new coronavirus on Wednesday as another 147 people died, raising the country’s overall death toll to 1,135.

The nearly 15 per cent spike in deaths — amid a total of 17,361 confirmed cases in Iran — marks the biggest 24-hour rise in fatalities since officials first acknowledged cases of the virus in Iran in mid-February.

Still, even as the number of cases continues to grow each day, food markets were still packed with shoppers on Wednesday and highways were crowded with traffic as families travelled between cities ahead of the Persian New Year, Nowruz, on Friday.

8 a.m.: The number of confirmed coronavirus infections passed 200,000, more than doubling in a span of two weeks, despite an escalation in global travel restrictions and the imposition of home quarantines in many parts of the world. There were 201,530 confirmed cases of the disease known as COVID-19 early on Wednesday, with infections outside of mainland China — where the epidemic began — now above 120,000, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Deaths globally also more than doubled over the past two weeks to 8,007. In Italy, the second worst-hit country after China, infections topped 31,500 and deaths reached 2,503.

7:15 a.m. Air Transat says it’s starting a gradual suspension of flights until April 30 and is halting sales for departures before the same date to stem the spread of COVID-19. The Montreal-based company says it will still operate repatriation flights for the next two weeks to bring customers back to their home country. Air Transat says a date for a full halt to operations will be announced soon.

4:16 a.m.: Finance Minister Bill Morneau is poised to announce billions in federal aid today to help cushion the financial shock of the COVID-19 outbreak on Canadians.

The sweeping economic package is expected to be worth $20 billion or more.

4 a.m.: The latest numbers of confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 4 a.m. in data compiled by The Canadian Press:

Ontario: 189 confirmed (including one death and 5 resolved)

British Columbia: 186 confirmed (including 7 deaths, 5 resolved)

Alberta: 97 confirmed

Quebec: 74 confirmed

Canadians quarantined at CFB Trenton: 8 confirmed

Manitoba: 8 confirmed, 7 presumptive

New Brunswick: 2 confirmed, 6 presumptive

Saskatchewan: 8 presumptive

Nova Scotia: 1 confirmed, 6 presumptive

Newfoundland and Labrador: 3 presumptive

Prince Edward Island: 1 confirmed

Total: 566 confirmed (including 8 deaths, 10 resolved), 30 presumptive

Overnight: The Ottawa Senators say one of its players has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The NHL team has not named the player. The Senators say the player has mild symptoms and is in isolation.

11:50 p.m.: Westjet Airlines says some of its passengers may have been exposed to people infected with the novel coronavirus on recent flights. The Calgary-based company made the announcement on their website and social media Tuesday, listing the flights and affected rows.

Overnight: The future of the 2020 Calgary Stampede is up in the air after 80 per cent of its staff were laid off Tuesday as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Stampede CEO Warren Connell says the organization had laid off a total of 890 workers — 608 were casual part-time and the other 282 that were regular part-time and full time. He says the Stampede is a not-for-profit group and can’t afford to keep things operating as usual. Connell says the remaining staff will continue the planning process to see if it’s possible to hold the annual event.He says it’s premature to say at what point that the Stampede would have to be cancelled.

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