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 8, as of 5 pm ET:

Quebec confirms lowest daily coronavirus death toll since April

The Quebec government revealed that the province’s COVID-19-related death toll has reached 4,984, after announcing six more deaths since Sunday afternoon.

There are a reported 198 new known cases of the coronavirus, according to the Santé Quebec website. That brings the confirmed total to 53,047 known cases with 979 hospitalizations, 121 of which are in the ICU.

Currently, a reported 443,016 tests have turned up negative throughout Quebec and over 15,000 cases have been resolved.

Here’s when restaurants throughout Quebec can reopen

Restaurants throughout the province have been given the go-ahead to host clients inside as of June 15, with the exception of the Greater Montreal metropolitan area and the district of Joliette.

Montreal and Joliette restaurants will have to wait an additional week to host customers on-site — in these places, the change will be permitted as of June 22.

The announcement was made in Quebec City Monday by the province’s Agriculture Minister André Lamontagne and Labour Minister Jean Boulet.

Indoor gatherings are now permitted throughout Quebec

Quebecers can now host gatherings inside their homes.

As part of Monday’s announcement that revealed the dates of the reopening of Quebec’s restaurant industry, Dr. Richard Massé, a strategic medical advisor to the Ministry of Health, announced that Quebecers can now gather indoors.

The 10-person, three-household rule must still be respected (the same guidelines that apply for outdoor gatherings).

Canada forecasting 9,400 coronavirus-related deaths by mid-June

Canada’s top health officials are forecasting that the total number of coronavirus cases in the country will rise as high as 107,454 by June 15, and the total number of deaths could hit 9,400 in the same time frame.

On Thursday morning, the federal government released projections of the coronavirus through modelling that shows where we might be heading over the next week.

Legault says Quebec’s new coronavirus numbers are “very encouraging”

As part of his daily COVID-19-related briefings, Quebec Premier François Legault said the province’s latest numbers are “very encouraging.”

Legault said that though it’s encouraging, Quebecers “can’t take anything for granted,” and we can’t ease up on our efforts.

Canadians separated by border restrictions allowed to reunite with immediate family members

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a limited exemption allowing families in Canada to reunite with their loved ones who have not been able to enter the country from the US due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Monday, the prime minister noted that Canadians have been separate from family members due to the US border closures that have been in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

“We obviously want families to be together, but our priority is the safety of all Canadians,” Trudeau said during his daily press conference outside of Rideau Cottage.

Tim Hortons is expanding outdoor patios across Canada (RENDERINGS)

Tim Hortons plans to open 1,000 patios across the country by early July, following public health requirements to operate outdoor dining spaces safely.

The company’s announcement comes as provinces all across Canada prepare, in differing ways appropriate to regional circumstances, to reopen some operations paused by the pandemic.

“Tim Hortons is ready to welcome guests back to our patios and we are quickly expanding the number of patios we offer across Canada,” Tim Hortons Chief Operating Officer Mike Hancock said in a release.

Health Canada issues recall for several hand sanitizers

Health Canada has issued a recall for several types of hand sanitizer because the alcohol in them is industrial grade and not approved for use here.

The industrial-grade ethanol in the products contains impurities that are not found in the type of ethanol that’s usually used in hand sanitizers, Health Canada said in an advisory posted Saturday.

“Frequent use of these products may result in dry skin, causing irritation or cracking,” it said. “Since industrial-grade ethanol has not been approved for use in hand sanitizers in Canada, the Department has not reviewed it for safety or efficacy.”

New Zealand declares it is “virus-free,” reports no active coronavirus cases

New Zealand has reverted to Alert Level 1 of its COVID-19 Alert System after health officials declared that the last known individual infected with coronavirus has now recovered.

The announcement was made in a press conference on Monday with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director-General of Health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield.

In the press conference, Ardern described how she was confident that the nation had ceased the further transmission of the virus, but that the country must still be on alert.