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 28, as of 5 pm ET:

Quebec reports almost 170 new coronavirus cases in past 24 hours

The Quebec government revealed that the province’s COVID-19 death toll has reached 5,670 after announcing three more deaths since Monday morning.

COVID-19 cases in the province also increased by 169 in the past 24 hours.

According to Santé Quebec, there are now 58,897 cases in the province, 193 hospitalizations, and eight patients in the ICU.

Here’s a breakdown of Montreal’s known coronavirus cases per district

Public health has updated Montreal’s data in connection to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Montreal metropolitan area has the unenviable role of having the most cases throughout the province.

With 28,608 known cases of the virus as of July 28, Montreal accounts for 48.5% of Quebec’s 58,897 total. Montreal also accounts for 3,434 of Quebec’s 5,670 (60.5%) coronavirus-related deaths.

Montreal has announced 947 new COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks and eight additional deaths.

Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy extended into winter

The Senate passed a bill on Monday that will extend the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) well into the winter.

An Act respecting further COVID-19 measures, passed on its third reading, allowing for the wage subsidy to last until December, if needed.

Health Canada issues recall for several hand sanitizers

Health Canada is recalling several brands of ethanol hand sanitizers it says may pose a health risk due to unauthorized ingredients.

The hand sanitizers were reportedly made with ethanol or denaturants that are not acceptable for use in hand sanitizers

“Denaturants are added to ethanol to make it unfit for human consumption and, therefore, to avoid the unintentional ingestion of hand sanitizers (particularly by children),” said Health Canada in its notice.

The Montreal Canadiens to play their first game in 140 days

The Montreal Canadiens’ 140-day intermission is finally over as the Habs return to on-ice NHL action for the first time since a March 10 loss to the Nashville Predators.

The Habs will take on the rival Toronto Maple Leafs as part of three exhibition games on Tuesday night as the 24 postseason teams prepare for the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, which begin Saturday.

All exhibition games and Stanley Cup Qualifiers will take place in Toronto and Edmonton at Scotiabank Arena and Rogers Place, respectively, as part of the NHL’s hub city bubble plan. The games between the twelve Western Conference teams will take place in Edmonton and the Eastern Conference teams will play at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

Almost 60% of Canadian parents would send their children back to school this fall: Poll

With school just around the corner, Canadian parents seem divided on their children heading back to school in the fall, if classrooms reopen.

According to the latest survey by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies, 59% of Canadians state that they will send their children back to the classroom if school resumes and there is some form of in-person instruction.

Health Canada approves drug to treat severe coronavirus symptoms

Health Canada has approved the use of remdesivir, a drug that is meant to treat severe COVID-19 symptoms.

The drug by Gilead Canada was given conditional authorization by Health Canada, and it is the first approved treatment option for coronavirus in Canada.

According to a release, Veklury, also known as remdesivir, was created to treat coronavirus in adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older, and weighing at least 40 kg, who have pneumonia requiring supplemental oxygen.

Ontario man issued over $1,000 fine for not self-isolating after returning from Florida

A 41-year-old man has been charged under the Ontario Quarantine Act after failing to comply with the mandatory 14-day self-isolation order.

According to the Chatham-Kent Police Service, officers received information that a local man had recently returned from Florida and was not following the province’s quarantine mandate.

The man allegedly returned to Canada on July 10 and was bound by the Quarantine Act until July 24.

Airline industry not expected to return to pre-COVID traffic levels until 2024

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is forecasting that air travel may return to pre-COVID-19 traffic levels in 2024.

For the rest of 2020, global passenger numbers are expected to decline by 55% compared to 2019.

According to the IATA, recovery in short-haul travel is still expected to happen faster than for long-haul travel.