Coronavirus: Everything you need to know in Montreal today

Every day in Canada, a lot of news regarding COVID-19 comes out nationally and locally.

And for now, we will be putting together Montreal and Canada’s top headlines daily to help you digest the news in one place.

Throughout the day, you can see all the headlines in real-time here.

Top coronavirus stories for July 23, as of 5 pm ET:

Quebec reports over 140 new coronavirus cases for second consecutive day

The Quebec government revealed that the province’s COVID-19 death toll has remained at 5,662 after announcing no new deaths and 142 new known cases since Wednesday morning.

According to Santé Quebec, there are now 58,080 cases in the province, 221 hospitalizations, and 14 patients in the ICU.

Currently, a reported 683,818 tests have turned up negative throughout Quebec, and over 30,000 cases have been resolved.

Up to 250 people can gather indoors throughout Quebec as of next month

The maximum capacity of people allowed to gather indoors throughout Quebec is about to increase five-fold.

Richard Massé, a strategic advisor for Quebec’s public health agency made the announcement from the capital on Thursday afternoon.

Capacity will increase from 50 people to 250 on Monday, August 3.

Air Transat making its first commercial flight after months without service

After 112 days of air downtime due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Air Transat is making its first commercial flight on Thursday.

As one of the largest integrated tourism companies in the world and Canada’s holiday travel leader, Transat is resuming air activity after four months without flying.

Blue Jays now expected to play out of Baltimore for 2020 home games: report

The 2020 Major League Baseball season kicks off tonight and the Toronto Blue Jays are still without a home base.

After getting rejected by the state of Pennsylvania to play out of PNC Park in Pittsburgh, the homeless Jays are turning to their American East rivals, the Baltimore Orioles, in the hopes of playing home games out of the historic Camden Yards.

As of now, according to Jon Heyman, it seems like two bird-named baseball teams in the AL East will be sharing a nest.

Bars, indoor parties among reasons for rise in Canada’s coronavirus cases: health officials

One of Canada’s top doctors says that the hospitality industry and indoor parties could be two major influencers in the country’s rise of COVID-19 cases. And this time, it’s a younger age group that’s becoming infected.

Canada’s Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Njoo spoke to reporters on Tuesday, addressing the “uptick” in cases that’s being seen across the country. He says that it’s something officials have “noted at the national level, but also with individual provinces and territories.”

La Cage restaurant chain permanently cuts 30% of staff, closes four locations

Quebec’s popular chain of sports restaurants, La Cage, has been forced to permanently cut almost 660 jobs and close four of its locations as a result of the pandemic.

In a press release on Wednesday, La Cage ownership, Sportscene Group, said it has laid off 30% of its staff because of physical distancing measures and hour reductions throughout the chain’s 41 restaurants across the province.