On Friday, the federal government announced $100 million in funding for urgent food needs across the country, including northern and Indigenous communities, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The federal government also announced the GST credit will be available in April instead of May, with every qualifying adult receiving $300, plus $150 for each child.
Canada announced an agreement Friday that will see Amazon Canada distribute medical equipment and supplies across the country.
In local news, Algoma Public Health confirmed the seventh positive case of COVID-19 in the Algoma region.
SooToday's David Helwig reports PUC has upped its borrowing capacity as a "proactive measure" due to the uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are the latest numbers from Algoma Public Health:
- 470 tested
- 7 positive
- 270 negative
- 193 pending
In provincial news Friday, Ontario health officials revealed projections indicating the province is on track for 80,000 cases of COVID-19 and 1,600 deaths due to COVID-19 by the end of April if current public health measures are followed.
The same modelling numbers suggest that without those public health measures in place, Ontario could have seen 300,000 cases and 6,000 deaths by the end of April.
Projections indicate that there could be anywhere from 3,000 to 15,000 deaths in Ontario over the full course of the pandemic with public health measures in place, and 100,000 COVID-19 deaths without any public health measures taken.
According to best-case-scenario projections from the province, another 900 ICU beds will need to be added in order to deal with an expected rise in COVID-19 patients.
Ontario also announced the launch of a new online portal for the public to access COVID-19 lab test results, which the province says is being done in order to ease pressure on public health units and frontline workers.
