National Business

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Governors in the Midwest are working to keep large meatpacking plants operating despite coronavirus outbreaks that have sickened hundreds of workers and threaten to disrupt the nation’s supply of pork and beef. In Kansas, Gov.

Some big restaurant chains have obtained loans from the government under a small-business relief program, leading business groups to call for changes to the program before Congress provides it with new funding.

SEATTLE — Boeing this week is restarting production of commercial airplanes in the Seattle area, putting about 27,000 people back to work after operations were halted because of the coronavirus.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — High Liner Foods Inc. says it has suspended production at its fish processing plant in Portsmouth, N.H., after confirming positive COVID-19 cases.

GUELPH, Ont. — Auto parts supplier Linamar Corp. says it is withdrawing its 2020 financial outlook until market conditions become clearer for the global automotive industry. Global light vehicle production is expected to be 21 per cent or 18.

TORONTO — Some of the most active companies traded Monday on the Toronto Stock Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange (14,388.28, up 28.40 points.) StageZero Life Sciences Ltd. (TSX:SZLS). Health care. Up one cent, or 14.29 per cent, to eight cents on 10.

CALGARY — PrairieSky Royalty Ltd. is reporting a 67 per cent drop in net earnings on sharply lower oil and gas prices in the first quarter.

TORONTO — Canada's main stock index rose slightly to start the week even as oil future contracts plummeted on oversupply pressure. "This is a historic day.

Mark VanderVeen and his team at Clean Works were determined to work at all hours, even over Easter weekend, to get their sanitization equipment out to front-line workers.

CALGARY — A Calgary energy analyst says the plunge by benchmark U.S. crude oil prices into negative territory for the first time on Monday is a short-term anomaly that likely won't have a lasting effect on Canadian producers.