TORONTO - Ontario's budget will be delivered on Nov. 5.

Finance Minister Rod Phillips says the spending package will focus on pandemic-response measures.

Phillips says the budget will be a three-year action plan that lays out three scenarios in its financial outlook.

The announcement confirmed earlier reporting by BNN Bloomberg that details on the release of a three-year budget were imminent.

The province delayed its budget, which was originally scheduled for release in March, because of the pandemic and instead unveiled a COVID-19-focused fiscal update.

The Progressive Conservative government had said in March that the deficit would reach $20.5 billion by the end of 2020-2021.

Phillips said in August that due to billions more in spending required by the ongoing pandemic, that number is set to reach $38.5 billion.