Today we saw a large number of developments and announcements at both the federal and provincial levels.

Federally, the government passed an aid package bill worth $107 billion to help Canadians. This bill will boost access to employment insurance and other programs that will flow money to workers and businesses in need.

Parliament also passed Bill C-13, An Act Respecting Certain Measures in Response to COVID-19, that will provide tens of billions of dollars in financial aid to Canadians and their businesses hurt by the COVID-19 outbreak. It establishes the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). This taxable benefit would provide $2,000 a month for up to four months for workers who lose their income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CERB would be a simpler and more accessible combination of the previously announced Emergency Care Benefit and Emergency Support Benefit.

The government also announced a mandatory 14-day isolation period for Canadians returning from travel abroad, which comes into effect at midnight tonight. Workers providing "essential services", however, are exempt from this mandatory order.

Provincially, the Ford Government announced that it is doubling the deficit to more than $20 billion in 2020-2021 to help support hospitals and those affected by COVID-19. A total of $17 billion will be provided for emergency relief and support including:

  • Providing $3.3 billion for hospitals, public health units and laboratories, and a combined $4.8 billion in assorted reserves and contingencies;
  • Directing transfers to increase hospital budgets across Ontario, enabling them to add at least 1,500 critical and acute care beds;
  • Providing new money to purchase personal protective equipment and ventilators, and $160 million more for laboratories conducting COVID-19 testing and local public health units managing, isolating and contact tracing confirmed patients;
  • $1 billion of the $3.3 billion the Government is adding to the healthcare sector will be held as a contingency in case the province fails to flatten the curve and case growth continues to accelerate;
  • Providing long-term care homes $243 million to increase screening and safety protocols and ensure adequate staffing and secure more equipment;
  • Parents will be given a one-time cash payment of $200 for every child they have under the age of 12. The payment rises to $250 for each child with special needs. Applications will be accepted starting April 6, 2020;
  • Doubling payments to low-income seniors through the Guaranteed Annual Income System. For the next six months, an elderly couple will see their maximum monthly payments rise to $332;
  • OSAP loan repayments have also been suspended until Sept. 30;
  • Deferring a variety of the taxes, fees and premiums the Government collects for the next five months;
  • Allowing businesses to defer paying WSIB premiums for the next six months; and
  • Allowing cities to defer remittance of education property taxes due June 30 to Sept. 30, so they can in turn defer more taxes owed by businesses and residents in their municipalities.

For more information, visit the following link: https://news.ontario.ca/mof/en/2020/03/ontarios-action-plan-responding-to-covid-19.html

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