Ontario Introduces Grant for Small Businesses Forced to Close, Half-Capacity Not Eligible | The Canadian News

TORONTO – The Ontario government will offer a $ 10,000 grant to small businesses forced to close due to public health measures.

Eligible businesses include gyms, museums and galleries, tourist services, and before and after school programs.

Companies that had to cut their capacity in half do not qualify.

The province says eligible businesses that qualified for the Ontario Small Business Support Grant and were forced to close will be shortlisted for the new grant and do not need to apply.

It says small businesses that qualify can expect to be paid in February, a timeline that NDP leader Andrea Horwath says is too slow.

The province is also introducing a hydroelectric relief program for businesses and residential customers, providing the lowest demand rate 24 hours a day for 21 days, starting January 18.

It occurs as COVID-19 continues to spread at an unprecedented rate.

Ontario reports 2,472 patients in the hospital with COVID-19, including 338 people in intensive care.

That’s up from 2,279 hospitalized patients and 319 ICU patients a day ago, and surpasses the previous peak of 2,360 people hospitalized on April 20.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says 232 ICU patients are not fully vaccinated or have unknown vaccination status, and 106 are fully vaccinated.

42 new deaths were reported, which according to an Elliott spokeswoman occurred in the past 10 days and were added today due to a data cleanup.

The province reports 11,899 new COVID-19 cases, but Public Health Ontario says the actual case count is likely higher due to the current testing policy.

Provincial data shows that 81.7% of Ontarians aged five years or older have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 87.5% have at least one dose.

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