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 digest the news in one place.
Throughout the day, you can see all the headlines in real-time here.
Top coronavirus stories for April 20, as of 5 pm ET:
62 new coronavirus deaths in Quebec as total cases pass 19,000
The Quebec government revealed that the province’s COVID-19-related death toll has increased to 939 total after announcing 62 new deaths since Sunday.
As part of his daily briefings, Premier François Legault updated provincial numbers, stating that Quebec now has 18,357 cases (a 962 increase since Sunday). A total of 1,169 patients are hospitalized, 198 of whom are in intensive care.
A total of 148,482 cases have turned up negative throughout Quebec, and 3,847 have been cured of the virus.
“Senseless violence and tragedy”: Trudeau addresses Nova Scotia’s mass shooting
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the nation following a mass shooting in Nova Scotia over the weekend.
Instead of his daily pandemic update, the prime minister said that he was mourning the lives of the “at least” 18 people who died in the shootout.
“We are a country that stands united in our effort to defeat a pandemic, save lives, and help each other make it to a better day,” said Trudeau. “But yesterday, we were jolted from that common cause by the senseless violence and tragedy in Nova Scotia.”
Côte-Vertu metro station delays 3-month closure to next summer
Due to the pandemic’s closure of construction sites, the STM (Société de transport de Montréal) has announced that its scheduled three-month closure of the Côte-Vertu metro station will be delayed until summer 2021.
Originally, Côte-Vertu’s underground garage was slated to be renovated, resulting in a 12-week closure. The construction work would have essentially closed the popular Orange Line station for the entire summer.
Part of the project included a track switch which would allow for a 25% increase of train frequency during rush hour.
Canada requires passengers to wear face masks on all flights effective today
Effective today, passengers travelling by air in Canada will be required to cover their nose and mouth with a non-medical mask or face covering on all flights.
Marc Garneau, the Minister of Transport, announced the new measures in a press release on Friday and implemented the new measures as of April 20.
Montreal widens certain sidewalks to make physical distancing easier
As part of city-wide efforts to limit physical distancing, the City of Montreal has added what its calling “sanitary corridors” to widen sidewalks so pedestrians can pass each other at a safe distance.
The 4.5-metre-wide corridors were first tested in The Plateau over Easter Weekend.
Over the weekend, the expanded sidewalks were added to eight other boroughs throughout the island.
Quebec police issue over $10K in tickets to seven people breaking lockdown rules
Police in Terrebonne say they’ve issued seven individual tickets totalling $10,822 to a group of people who were having a house party over the weekend.
Terrebonne police said they received a call on Saturday complaining about loud music at a private residence. Upon showing up, just after 8:50 pm, police estimated that “several people” were inside.
Officers say the homeowners refused to cooperate with police, and squad members were allowed to enter the home after receiving a warrant the following morning.
Reminder: Quebec’s minimum wage will increase next month
While the pandemic has ravaged its way throughout the world’s economy, Quebec’s lowest-paid employees will still be getting a raise, as the minimum wage is set to increase throughout the province.
Originally announced in December 2019, Quebec’s Labour Minister Jean Boulet stated that minimum wage is going up 60 cents an hour, totalling $13.10 per hour, starting on May 1, 2020.
Minimum wage in Quebec is currently $12.50 per hour.