Canada now has a confirmed 19,274 cases of the novel coronavirus, including 435 deaths. The rise in numbers comes amid a total of 1,391 cases and 54 deaths newly announced across the provinces on Wednesday.
Of the country’s positive cases, 5,238 have recovered. Wednesday also saw several new announcements related to Canada’s response to COVID-19 on both the federal and provincial level.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would be easing requirements for businesses to qualify for wage subsidies.
According to Trudeau, businesses would need to show a 15-per cent decline in revenue for March as opposed to the previous 30 per cent to qualify.