The latest news on the COVID-19 global pandemic (all times Eastern):
7:30 a.m.
Sobeys grocery stores are taking further steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among customers and staff.
The company began installing plexiglass shields for cashiers in select stores last night and plan to have them in every store as quickly as possible.
Sobeys is also mandating that employees wash their hands every 15 minutes and will reduce store hours to allow more time for sanitizing.
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7:10 a.m.
Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois-Philippe Champagne has tested negative for COVID-19.
He made the announcement this morning on Twitter.
Champagne had flu-like symptoms after travelling abroad and took the test yesterday as a precautionary measure.
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6:45 a.m.
Toronto Mayor John Tory announced a 60-day grace period for all city payments from residents and businesses.
The policy includes property tax, water and solid waste utility payments.
Tory said the move is meant to alleviate stress on people and business owners during the economic difficulties of the COVID-19 outbreak.
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12:45 a.m.
A union official says Air Canada is laying off more than 5,000 flight attendants as the country's largest airline cuts routes and parks planes due to COVID-19.
Wesley Lesosky, who heads the Air Canada component of CUPE's airline division, says the carrier is laying off about 3,600 mainline employees as well as all of Air Canada Rouge's 1,549 flight attendants.
The layoffs, which Lesosky says will take effect by April, affect roughly 60 per cent of flight attendants at the two segments.
Air Canada says the layoffs are temporary and employees will be returned to active duty status when the airline is able to ramp up its network schedule.
The Canadian Press
