Canada’s Prime Minister has announced a $1 billion package to address the impact of COVID-19. The Prime Minister says the virus affects supply chains, commodity prices, the oil and gas sector and tourism, to name a few.
When asked whether there would be large scale restrictions on Canadians freedom of movement within their own borders the Prime Minister said the government was considering a wide range of scenarios for every eventuality but at this point the best plan is for Canadians to be involved in slowing the propagation of the virus.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer enforced that statement and says by changing our own behaviors we can protect those who may become seriously ill. She is referring to things like sneezing into your elbow, social distancing as in not shaking hands, not touching your face, and consistently washing your hands.
She says the epidemic curve and those who get seriously ill and are entered into the health system depends on all of us doing the right thing, listening to the advice given by our public health agencies
“Right now, in Canada, throughout the public health system, people are trying to identify every case and their contacts so it will slow the spread of this virus into the country. That’s a lot of work but the work actually does matter. As the Prime Minister has said, we need to prevent this rapid rise in cases that will really impact our health system. ”
Dr. Tam also notes that the majority of coronavirus cases around the world are working age adults. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says no one should have to worry about their job if quarantined and an employer shouldn’t feel like they have to lay off a worker because of COVID-19.
“We will waive the mandatory one week waiting period for employment insurance to kick in. We are also introducing, among other things, special measures under the work sharing program to help employers who fall on hard times, due to COVID 19.”
Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau says the government has to make sure they think about health, first and foremost, because it is an important mitigation factor that will translate to the health of the economy, not just the country’s residents.
“We’re in daily contact with all of our banks. Our banking system is strong. They’re not seeing as yet, any challenges around credit. But as the Prime Minister mentioned, we are preparing our business credit availability and that is an important measure that we used previously – it’s expandable.”
Canada’s COVID-19 Response:
Help Canadians make informed decisions and take action to protect their health and their communities by providing $50 million to support the Public Health Agency of Canada’s COVID-19 communications and public education efforts.
Further support public health preparedness by providing $500 million to provinces and territories for critical health care system needs and to support mitigation efforts as needed. This could include help to support with access to testing, acquisition of equipment, and to enhance surveillance and monitoring. Financial considerations should not and will not be an obstacle to hospitals and health systems making the necessary preparations.
Provide support to workers in quarantine or who have been directed to self-isolate who will claim Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits by waiving the mandatory one-week waiting period so they can be paid for the first week of their claim. We are exploring additional measures to support other affected Canadians, including income support for those who are not eligible for EI sickness benefits.
Introduce enhancements to the Work-Sharing program to help support employers and their workers who are experiencing a downturn in business due to COVID-19. Work-sharing helps keep workers employed and able to receive income support even as their hours of work may be reduced. These enhancements will double the length of time that employers and workers are eligible to use work-share from 38 to 76 weeks, and streamline processes so help can be accessed as soon as possible.
Support federal public health measures such as enhanced surveillance, increased testing at the National Microbiology Laboratory, and ongoing support for preparedness in First Nations and Inuit communities, by providing $100 million. This is in addition to an initial $50 million that was provided to support the immediate public health response.
Enhance Canada’s capacity in research and development, including research on medical countermeasures, including antivirals, vaccine development and support for clinical trials, by providing $275 million in additional funding building on top of the recent $27 million announcement to fund coronavirus research in Canada.
Ensure adequate supplies of personal protective equipment like surgical masks, face shields, and isolation gowns by providing $50 million to the Public Health Agency of Canada to support purchases for provinces and territories, as well as to address federal needs.
Address the worldwide outbreak and help more vulnerable countries prepare for and respond to the virus by contributing an additional $50 million to support the efforts of the World Health Organization and other partners.
