Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government is expanding the number of businesses that can use COVID-19 aid programs as the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 fuels a surge in cases and new restrictions in Canada.
At a news conference with Canadian Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland, Trudeau said that companies and individuals affected by new capacity limits would be eligible for extended financial help.
Firms can receive wage and rent subsidies of 25 percent to 75 percent, depending on the amount of revenue lost, the government said in a statement.
Photo: Reuters
Trudeau’s government and Canada’s provinces have been caught out by an exponential rise in cases, with testing labs in some places overrun with people.
Quebec is a particular hot spot: The French-speaking province on Wednesday reported a record 6,361 new cases in the previous 24 hours. It had 445 people hospitalized with the virus, nearly double the number at the start of this month.
Provincial officials are pleading for Canadians to be cautious with their Christmas gatherings.
Asked about the contrast between Trudeau’s message and that of US President Joe Biden — who on Tuesday said that vaccinated Americans can safely enjoy the holidays — Freeland pushed back.
“Look, Canada is not the United States and I think all of us know that very profoundly. Our countries have taken very different approaches in the fight against COVID-19,” she said at a news conference.
Canada has had 80 virus deaths per 100,000 people compared with 247 deaths in the US, data from Johns Hopkins University showed.
Workers can also receive benefits if they have lost at least half of their income due to COVID-19 public health lockdowns.
Some provinces, including Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia, have introduced capacity restrictions on gyms, bars, event venues and other businesses.
In October, Freeland shut down the government’s broad-based virus support programs for individuals and businesses, replacing them with new targeted aid for the hardest-hit industries. The new programs were initially estimated to cost C$7.4 billion (US$5.8 billion), but the changes are to add C$4 billion to the price tag, Freeland said.
Last week, the Canadian government set aside C$4.5 billion for higher costs related to COVID-19 in a fiscal update.
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