What you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Friday, April 17

The latest:

• Alberta reported239 new cases on Friday, bringing the total to 2,397, but no new deaths.
• The federal government will spend $1.7 billion to help clean up orphaned and abandoned wells.
• Edmonton Public Schools lays off nearly 1,900 staff.
• The Alberta government knew eligible applicants would be rejected for emergency supports before launching program.
• Canada's oil lobby is pushing for a freeze on carbon tax and delays on new climate regulations.
• High River has become a COVID-19 hot spot with 358 cases linked to the Cargill meat processing plant.

What you need to know today in Alberta:

When the provincial government announced it would provide emergency funding for those impacted by the pandemic, it knew eligible applicants would be turned away, internal emails show. But in the end, the government says it paid out millions more than it anticipated.

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The curve for COVID-19 cases in Canada is starting to flatten, but before cases see a major decrease in the number of deaths that number will continue to rise.

The pandemic, of course, continues to affect thousands across the province, including 358 confirmed cases linked to the Cargillmeat-packing plant north of High River.

As of Friday, 34 people have died from COVID-19 in the Calgary zone; eight in the Edmonton zone; seven in the North zone; and one in the Central zone.

There are now 2,397 confirmed cases.Here's the breakdown of cases by region in Alberta as of Friday afternoon:

• Calgary zone: 1,673.
• Edmonton zone: 429.
• North zone: 135.
• Central zone: 77.
• South zone: 68.
• Unknown zone: 15.

More than 89,140people have been tested for COVID-19.

What you need to know today in Canada:

Canada's death toll is above projections due to outbreaks in long-term care homes, according to Justin Trudeau. Health officials say 90 per cent of deaths in the country have been people over the age of 60.

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From buying groceries for seniors to babysitting for essential workers, people are finding creative ways to help their community members during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of2p.m.ET on Friday, Canada had 31,642presumptive and confirmed coronavirus cases. The provinces and territories that provide data on recoveries listed 10,332cases as recovered or resolved.

A CBC News tally of deaths linked to COVID-19 based on provincial reports, regional public health information and CBC reportinglisted 1,332deaths in Canada. There have also been two reported coronavirus-related deaths of Canadians abroad.

Self-assessment:

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

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The province says Albertans who have returned to Canada from other countries must self-isolate. 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.