The latest news on the COVID-19 global pandemic (all times Eastern):
7:30 a.m.
A driver in Ottawa’s transit system is in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19.
The city says the driver developed symptoms on March 20 and was tested for the virus that causes the illness the next day.
The local health unit says there’s concern the driver might have spread the virus in the days before feeling sick.
The city says it’s deep-cleaning the busses that the person drove, which mostly ran between downtown Ottawa and western suburbs.
7:25 a.m.
A ship carrying passengers sick with COVID-19 is expected to arrive in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Thursday.
About 250 Canadians are among the passengers aboard Holland America’s Zaandam, which was denied entry by several countries after reporting four deaths and dozens of infections.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has said the state’s health care resources are already stretched too thin to take on the ships’ coronavirus caseload.
But President Donald Trump said people are dying on the ship, and he’s going to do “the right thing” for humanity and allow it to dock in Florida.
6:35 a.m.
It’s April 1st and rent payments are due for millions of Canadians for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic led to an economic shutdown and many layoffs.
Hundreds of thousands of Canadians have signed petitions, asking for the outright cancellation of rents and mortgage payments for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggests that’s not going to happen, but says the banks have been asked to give people a break if they need it.
Multiple provinces have placed an outright ban on evictions, while others have placed an effective ban by closing down landlord and tenant boards.
Applications for federal support payments and details about wage subsidies that are meant to help Canadians weather the storm are still to be released.
The Canadian Press
