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 May 4, as of 5 pm ET:

Quebec confirms 75 more coronavirus deaths as cases pass 32,500

The Quebec government revealed that the province’s COVID-19-related death toll has reached 2,280 after announcing 75 more deaths since Sunday afternoon.

As part of his daily briefings, Quebec Premier François Legault updated the province’s numbers, citing 32,623 known cases and 1,772 hospitalizations, 218 of whom are in ICU.

Currently, a reported 206,551 cases have turned up negative throughout the province.

The reopening of businesses in Montreal is being delayed by a week: Legault

As part of his daily briefings, François Legault announced that the government is delaying its initial plan to reopen businesses in Montreal by a week.

During his April 28 meeting, Legault announced that Montreal will be reopening businesses as of May 11. That day, he mentioned the “government will reevaluate the plan if cases worsen.”

“I am announcing today, we are pushing back the reopening of non-essential businesses in the Montreal region to May 18,” said Legault at Monday’s meeting.

Select retail stores throughout Quebec are reopening today

The first phase of François Legault’s plan to relaunch the Quebec economy goes into effect on Monday as certain retail businesses throughout the province are allowed to reopen.

The reopening of the province was announced on April 28 by Legault and Quebec’s Finance Minister, Pierre Fitzgibbon. The plan was put forth to allow certain business sectors to reopen “gradually over the following weeks.”

Throughout May, Legault said three types of businesses will reopen: construction, manufacturing, and retail, the latter being the first.

Canada launches Coronavirus Global Response with international partners

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined other global leaders to launch the Coronavirus Global Response amid the pandemic.

The response, an online pledging event looking to initially raise more than USD $8 billion, is aiming to help researchers and innovators develop solutions to test, treat, and protect people, and to prevent further spread of the virus.

“COVID-19 is an unprecedented challenge, but it’s not the first time Canadians have been called to do their part,” said Trudeau on Monday.

Montreal to implement mobile screening clinics on STM buses

The City of Montreal and public health are teaming up with the STM to test people on buses repurposed as mobile clinics.

Montreal’s director of public health, Mylene Drouin, made the announcement at a press conference on Monday afternoon alongside Mayor Valérie Plante and Philippe Schnobb, chairman of the board of directors of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM).

The mobile clinic will provide an additional 100 tests per day, according to Drouin, and will be done predominantly in Montreal’s “hot spots” including Montréal-Nord.

Air Canada mandates temperature checks as part of new safety program

Air Canada has mandated pre-flight temperature checks for customers, as well as face coverings, and several other measures, as part of a new safety program.

Titled Air Canada CleanCare+, the new program aims to emphasize personal safety and enhanced aircraft grooming, to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19.

In addition to temperature checks and mandatory masks, the program promises more personal space in Economy Class at least until June 30, personal care kits containing disinfectant and safety items, and revised food products, minimizing crew and passenger contact.

Employee Personal Protective Equipment is mandatory as well.

Cyclist raises over $17K for healthcare workers by biking up Mont Royal 100 times

Plenty of Montrealers were on the bike paths this weekend but perhaps none as impressively as James Piccoli.

Piccoli had set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for frontline workers by mirroring their “relentless 12+ hour shifts” on his bike by climbing Camilien Houde avenue as many times as he could in 12 hours.

The 28-year-old started his trek at 4:30 am on Saturday and had completed 100 laps of the mountain by 9:30 pm (after a few well-deserved breaks).