COVID-19: Here's the situation in the Sault today

Local non-profit food supplier temporarily shuts its doors due to COVID-19 measures; premier says Ontarians might be able to go to their cottages by Victoria Day long weekend

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $77 million in funding Tuesday for farmers and food processors struggling with COVID-19 related problems in their industries.

Trudeau described that figure as an "initial amount."

The funding is designed to help food processors, such as meat packers, upgrade their facilities and enable them to cope with a livestock backlog, as well as to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) for their workers.

It is anticipated Ottawa will also give $125 million to the AgriRecovery fund, which helps farmers during times of disaster.

The prime minister added the federal government will also give a minimum of $50 million toward buying surplus food from food producers hurting from the shutdown of restaurants they supply and redistribute that food to food banks to keep it from going to waste.

Provincially, Premier Doug Ford announced he is hopeful people will be able to start going to their cottages by the Victoria Day long weekend if the number of provincial COVID-19 cases drops.

As reported earlier Ontario has carried out 352,714 COVID-19 tests since Jan. 15.

Those test results show Ontario has confirmed 18,310 cases of COVID-19, and of those, 1,361 have died and 12,779 have recovered.

Locally, Sault non-profit food supplier Grocer 4 Good already operating at reduced hours, announced it will temporarily close its doors at 133 Gore St. at 4 p.m. Friday, May 8 due to precautionary COVID-19 social distancing concerns.

Here are the latest numbers from Algoma Public Health: