The latest news on the COVID-19 global pandemic (all times Eastern):
2:15 p.m.
New Brunswick has six new presumptive cases of COVID-19.
Four of the people had been on a cruise ship, while the other two were close contacts to travel-related cases.
There are now seven confirmed cases and 10 presumptive cases in New Brunswick for a total of 17.
Residents of New Brunswick's Campobello Island must travel through part of Maine to get to the New Brunswick mainland.
With the border closed, Premier Blaine Higgs says he has been assured that anyone who needs to travel between the island and the mainland for essential services will be allowed to do so.
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2 p.m.
British Columbia's housing minister says help is on the way to ensure renters are not evicted as the province cracks down on the spread of the new coronavirus.
Selina Robinson says the B.C. government is banning evictions for non-payment of rent in buildings funded by BC Housing.
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1:45 p.m.
Ontario's health minister says the province is asking the doctors and pharmacists not to re-fill prescriptions for more than 30 days to prevent drug shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Christine Elliott says pharmacists have told the government some patients have been requesting refills of up to six months.
The government says doctors and pharmacists will be allowed to use their own discretion if they believe a patient requires more than a 30 day supply.
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1:30 p.m.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is appealing to the province's manufacturing sector to help produce key medical supplies.
Ford says there are shortages of many items needed by health workers because of global demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The premier says any company that can produce items like ventilators, face masks, surgical gowns, protective eye-wear and hand sanitizers should reach out to the government.
The province has established a dedicated website to help manufacturers communicate what they can provide.
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1:20 p.m.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault says there are now 181 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the province, up from 139 yesterday.
Legault also announced four new deaths, meaning there's a total of five deaths in the province.
Legault says the four new deaths all came from the same senior residence.
The premier says the jump in cases was to be expected, as the province has increased its testing capacity.
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1:09 p.m.
P.E.I. is asking anyone who has travelled internationally or within Canada to self-isolate for 14 days when coming to the Island.
New screening measures are in place at all entry points to P.E.I. including the Confederation Bridge, ferries and airport, but the province is not closing its boundaries.
The screening includes asking questions and providing information on self-isolating.
P.E.I. chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison says there are no new cases of COVID-19 to add to the two previously reported on the Island.
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11:30 a.m.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says lock downs in other countries and air-space restrictions due to COVID-19 mean Canada won't be able to get every citizen home who is trapped abroad.
Trudeau is urging Canadians currently stuck in foreign countries to make safe decisions, stay in touch with Global Affairs and not head to airports unless they have a confirmed seat on a flight back.
Trudeau says the federal government is working with airlines to arrange flights to countries where Canadians are.
Trudeau says the government will help cover some of the costs for these flights, but passengers will be expected to pay a reasonable price.
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11:18 a.m.
The Northwest Territories is planning to ban non-essential travel into the territory.
In a news release, the N.W.T. says chief public health officer Dr. Kami Kandola will make an order under the territory's Public Health Act effective today.
Residents returning to the territory will be required to self-isolate in Yellowknife, Fort Smith, Hay River, or Inuvik.
The news release says disobeying the order is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 and six months in jail.
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10:51 a.m.
Ontario is reporting 59 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total in the province to 377.
The total includes six resolved cases and two deaths.
No information is listed for more than half of the new cases, but a man in his 40s from the Simcoe-Muskoka area has been hospitalized with the virus.
Public Health Ontario says he contracted the illness during travel to England.
Premier Doug Ford is set to make an announcement later today related to COVID-19 with his health and economic development ministers.
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4:00 a.m.
An Air Canada flight bringing a group of Canadians home from Morocco is expected to land in Montreal today.
The repatriation flight departing from Casablanca was arranged with the help of the federal government.
Thousands of Canadians stranded abroad are becoming increasingly desperate as countries close borders and airlines cut flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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12:15 a.m.
British Columbia is reporting 77 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 348.
That includes nine deaths.
B.C. has the highest number of cases in the country, surpassing the 318 being reported in Ontario.
Health Minister Adrian Dix says 22 patients are in acute care and the province will spare no effort to ensure it has the equipment in place to protect health care and other essential workers.
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12:00 a.m.
The new normal at Canada-U.S. border crossings went into effect at midnight.
In the ongoing struggle to stem the rising tide of COVID-19 cases all non-essential cross border traffic, such as tourists and people looking to do some shopping, is now banned until further notice.
Travel considered essential is still allowed, such as truckers hauling freight, health professionals and others who work on one side of the border but live on the other.
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The latest numbers of confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 1:44 p.m. ET on March 21, 2020:
There are 1,189 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada.
_ Ontario: 377 confirmed (including 2 deaths, 6 resolved)
_ British Columbia: 348 confirmed (including 9 deaths, 5 resolved)
_ Alberta: 195 confirmed (including 1 death)
_ Quebec: 181 confirmed (including 5 deaths, 1 resolved)
_ Saskatchewan: 8 confirmed, 18 presumptive
_ Manitoba: 17 confirmed
_ Nova Scotia: 5 confirmed, 10 presumptive
_ Canadians quarantined at CFB Trenton: 13 confirmed
_ New Brunswick: 7 confirmed, 4 presumptive
_ Newfoundland and Labrador: 3 confirmed, 1 presumptive
_ Prince Edward Island: 2 confirmed
_ The territories: No confirmed cases
_ Total: 1,189 (33 presumptive, 1,156 confirmed including 17 deaths, 12 resolved)
The Canadian Press
