The Prime Minister made a number of announcements in his daily press availability today. In summary:
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- Canada will be implementing a new protocol for travelers returning home to Canada. Mirroring the policy announced by BC last week, Canada will be asking returnees to submit a plan for quarantine upon arrival, and be required to isolate in a hotel if that plan is deemed inadequate.
- The federal government is providing $72.6 million in direct assistance to territorial governments in order to bolster their health systems in the face of COVID.
- The federal government also announced additional support for individuals and businesses in Canada’s north. This includes $17.3 million in support for northern air carriers, and $15 in non-repayable support for business. An additional $25 million will go toward Nutrition North, supporting food security and including traditional hunting and harvesting practices.
- $20M will be invested into the Canada Food Inspection Agency to help maintain the integrity of Canada’s food supply during the health crisis.
- Four plane loads of N-95 masks arrived in Canada over the weekend. Thus Far, 820,000 N-95 masks have been delivered to the provinces. An additional 1.1 million will be delivered in the coming days. Millions of pairs of gloves have also arrived in the country. The PM says that some of the first domestically-made medical gowns will be ready by next Monday, April 20.
- As of today, 430,000 Canadians have been tested for COVID-19. This means that roughly one in eighty-seven Canadians has been tested. The PM said that domestic testing capacity is being ramped up as quickly as possible.
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Yesterday, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food announced $50 million in support for the agri-food sector, including farmers, fish harvesters and employers in food production and processing who need to institute a two-week isolation period for temporary foreign workers. This translates into $1,500 to employers for each temporary foreign worker to ensure that the 14-day isolation requirements are fully met. Full details can be found here.
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Our federal team is standing by to answer your questions.
Sheamus will be back at his desk later this week. In the meantime, direct any inquiries to:
Ben Parsons
bparsons@counselpa.com
613 323 5226
Bridget Howe
bhowe@counselpa.com
613 797 8058