What you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Wednesday, April 1

The latest:

• An additional 117 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on Wednesday, bringing the province's total to 871.
• The increase in numbers was largely due to a backlog of tests being completed, the province said.
• There are 29 people in hospital and 13 admitted to intensive care. As many as 94 cases are believed to be acquired by community spread.
• The province reported two additional deaths due to COVID-19, and a Calgary nursing home reported a third.
• That nursing home has seen four residents die, and 66 total staff and residents have tested positive as an outbreak continues to rage through the facility.
• A survey of businesses in Edmonton shows nearly half don't think they'll survive the pandemic.
• Transit service in Calgary will be reduced starting April 6.
• Oil and gas companies are starting to lay off workers and pull back production in the face of record low prices.
• Air pollution in Edmonton, Calgary and along the QEII has dropped as people stay home.
• Calgary's new arena project is on pause for 30 days due to pandemic.
• Two more seniors' homes in Calgary have reported cases of COVID-19.

What you need to know today in Alberta:

The pandemic continues to ripple through the provincial economy and is having effects far beyond illness and isolation.

Long anticipated layoffs in the oilpatch are starting as companies begin to pull back production. The price of oil has been battered by reduced demand due to the coronavirus, just as a price war started between Saudi Arabia and Russia.

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That reduced demand is also impacting the air we breathe, with pollution dropping in Calgary andEdmonton and along the main highway that links the two.

The regional breakdown of Alberta's 871 cases as of Wednesdayafternoon:

• Calgary zone: 527.
• Edmonton zone: 219.
• Central zone: 57.
• North zone: 51.
• South zone: 12.
• Unknown: Five.

What you need to know today in Canada:

The federal government is preparing an aid packed for the airline and tourism sectors, which have faced a "catastrophic" decline in business due to the pandemic.

It's being contemplated as a fresh set of bills arrive for families and businesses on the first of the month and those affected wait to be able to apply for federal assistance.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday that applications for the aid will open on April 6.

Trudeau said Parliament will be recalled to pass new legislation allowing for the enhanced emergency aid measures, what he called the "largest economic program in Canadian history."

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As of 6 a.m. ET on Wednesday, officials in Canada had reported at least 8,612 confirmed and presumptive cases, with 108 deaths. The provinces and territories that are providing details on recovered cases have listed a total of 1,290 as resolved.

Public health officials have cautioned that reported numbers don't capture the full picture, as there are potential cases that haven't been identified or tested, as well as cases where investigations are ongoing or lab results are not yet in.

Self-assessment:

Alberta Health Services has an online self-assessment tool that you can use to determine if you have symptoms of COVID-19.

Testing is focused on individuals who are most at risk from the virus, or those most at risk of passing it on to others.

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The province says Albertans who have returned to Canada after March 12 must self-isolate for 14 days. Unless your situation is critical and requires a call to 911, Albertans are advised to call Health Link at 811 before visiting a physician, hospital or other health-care facility.

If you have symptoms, even mild, you are to self-isolate for 10 days from the onset of symptoms.

You can find Alberta Health Services' latest coronavirus updates here.