Although there’s no exact date for when things can return to normal, the Prime Minister is meeting this week with provincial leaders on how they can bring the economy back online.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says there is no one size fits all solution for our country and the economy.
“We know regardless of where you are in the country we need to get through this first wave before we can start releasing some of the rules around physical distancing and staying at home. How that release works will vary from region to region, from industry to industry,” Trudeau said.
The Prime Minister also announced a wage boost for essential workers who are making under $2,500 a month. Trudeau also relaxed some of the eligibility rules around the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. The CERB will now be available for those who saw their hours reduced, or anyone who makes a thousand dollars a month or less.
To help more Canadians benefit from the CERB, the government will be changing the eligibility rules to:
- Allow people to earn up to $1,000 per month while collecting the CERB.
- Extend the CERB to seasonal workers who have exhausted their EI regular benefits and are unable to undertake their usual seasonal work as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
- Extend the CERB to workers who recently exhausted their EI regular benefits and are unable to find a job or return to work because of COVID-19.
