Ottawa Expands Pandemic Benefit Programs as Omicron Drives Rise in New COVID-19 Cases

OTTAWA – The federal government is expanding access to its latest pandemic benefits as the latest variant of COVID-19 hits Canada, sending thousands of people into isolation and forcing companies to reduce capacity.

Even the prime minister’s inner circle has not escaped a surge of new COVID-19 cases fueled by the Omicron variant, and Justin Trudeau said at a news conference Wednesday that three members of his staff and three members of his security team tested positive.

Parliament recently approved a new set of targeted financial supports designed to respond to regional COVID-19 outbreaks and support industries in sectors that were taking longer to recover.

But some of those benefits didn’t go into effect until there were total closure orders, and so far provinces and health officials haven’t gone that far, instead imposing capacity limits and industry-specific closures.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said Wednesday that the new benefits will now be expanded to include employers facing capacity limits of 50 percent or more, as well as workers who have lost their jobs as a result.

The announcement came on the same day that Ontario reported another 4,383 new COVID-19 cases, and Quebec reported a record 6,361 new cases.

Trudeau said at the virtual press conference that he was not isolated as a result of his possible exposure, but was limiting contacts and undergoing testing.

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Reference-www.thestar.com

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