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 June 30, as of 5 pm ET:

Quebec reports 18 new coronavirus deaths, 68 more confirmed cases

The Quebec government revealed that the province’s COVID-19 death toll has reached 5,503 after announcing 18 more deaths and 68 cases since Monday.

According to Santé Quebec, there are now 55,458 cases in the province, 435 hospitalizations, and 38 patients in the ICU.

Currently, a reported 551,091 tests have turned up negative throughout Quebec and over 25,000 cases have been resolved.

Quebec makes wearing face masks mandatory on public transit

Premier François Legault has announced that all Quebecers using public transit must wear a face mask.

Alongside the National Director of Public Health, Dr. Horacio Arruda, and Montreal’s Public Health Director, Mylene Drouin, Legault said it’s “relatively easy to catch COVID-19 from another person who isn’t close.”

Legault said Quebecers have been following public health instructions “the most” but the gradual deconfinement has resulted in more people using public transit throughout the province.

“If we don’t want to see a contagion restart or return to lockdown in this new phase, we need to make masks mandatory on public transit,” he said in French from Montreal.

“The worst is yet to come,” WHO warns on future of coronavirus

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the “worst is yet to come” for the future of COVID-19.

On Monday, Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus provided a media briefing on the state of the pandemic, the measures WHO has taken to date, and what countries must continue to do to stop the spread of the virus.

“This is a moment for all of us to reflect on the progress we have made and the lessons we have learned, and to recommit ourselves to doing everything we can to save lives,” Ghebreyesus said.

Air Canada is discontinuing service for 30 domestic routes

Air Canada is “indefinitely suspending” 30 domestic flight routes and shutting down stations at eight domestic airports across Canada.

The company cites “structural changes” to its domestic network as the cause for the closures due to decreased demand for travel as a result of the pandemic. It describes that provincial border closures and travel restrictions imposed by provincial and federal governments are also a significant factor, explaining that it further hinders the potential for “a near-to-mid-term recovery.”

Downtown’s Time Out Market will reopen to the public next week

The Eaton Centre’s luxurious new food court is done taking a time out.

After pausing operations in March to help contain the spread of COVID-19, Time Out Market Montréal will reopen to the public as of Wednesday, July 8.

The massive market has adopted “intensified” safety precautions and new systems have been implemented to ensure guests with an enjoyable dining experience while prioritizes the health and safety of customers, employees, and concessionaires, according to a press release.