Those born in April, May and June can apply today for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. If you choose direct deposit you will get a payment in 3-5 days. If you choose payment by mail you will receive money within the next 10 days. The Emergency Response Benefit will provide $2,000 a month for the next 4 months for workers who have lost their income as a result of the COVID-19 virus.

There are now 16,653 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada, and 323 deaths. Canada’s Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam says there is reason, based on British Columbia recording a lower number of cases this week as compared to the last, for cautious optimism. However she says this not the time relent on rules around physical distancing, frequent hand washing and respiratory etiquette.

The government is now suggesting that a cloth mask, not of medical standard, in addition to the rules and recommendations already implemented will help protect others versus protecting yourself from others. Dr. Tam stresses that it is critical to keep medical masks for health care workers.

As to why Canada is not doing more testing, Dr. Tam says it is not as simply as just having a kit because throughout that pipeline there are many components from swabs to reagent to process the test. She says they are looking for a made-in-Canada test kit, like a rapid test kit, that could be sent to the north where they don’t have access to a national testing lab, but a kit which would also create quicker through-put at the national testing lab.