COVID-19 Update From The Federal Government Of Canada, Thursday Aprrile ...

The Federal Government Of Canada Response to #COVID19 Thursday, April 9, 2020: Dear Friends and Neighbours, Happy Thursday! Sorry for the delay in posting this evening, but we have a big update for you, with new announcements about the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy for businesses, and an expansion of the Canada Summer Jobs program for young people and students. Today’s Daily Update also answers important questions about the deferral of critical surgeries due to COVID-19, Universal Basic Income, and many of the questions regarding qualifications for CERB. Before I get into today’s update, I want to recognize the beginning of Passover tonight at sundown. This is an important religious observance for our Jewish Canadians, and this year many will celebrate Passover sadly without bringing together family members and loved ones under one roof. This weekend many Canadians also celebrate Easter – I want to recognize the sacrifice of everyone who cherishes religious holidays such as Passover and Easter as a way to bring families together. Thank you for finding other ways to connect this year. It is more important than ever that we keep our physical distance and flatten the curve. We all appreciate the sacrifices we are making for each other. Finally, thank you to everyone who continues to call, email, and reach out with questions about the federal government’s response to COVID-19. It is so important that I hear directly from you and what is on your mind – so keep doing so. Every day – using these Daily Updates – we attempt to respond to the top-asked questions in the Davenport Questions and Answers Section. If you feel your question isn’t answered, please feel free to get in touch again for more help. Thank you Davenport! Table of Contents Latest Federal News - Wednesday, April 8 Update on the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) Why is the Business Wage Subsidy Taking So Long to Implement? Applications for Canada Emergency Business Loans Opens! Changes to Canada Summer Jobs Announced Latest Update from Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam Why Not Implement Universal Basic Income Now? Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) Q&A More Much-Needed Supplies Arriving Daily!! Urgent Cancer Surgeries Cancelled. What Can Be Done? Davenport Questions and Answers Volunteer and Donation Services in Davenport - Help Out or Find Help Stay Up To Date at All Levels of Government Latest Federal News Update on the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Finance Minister, the Honourable Bill Morneau, announced important changes to the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS): Responding to the important feedback from stakeholders since the CEWS was first announced, the federal government has adjusted the requirement for employers to only have to show a 15% decline in revenue for March to qualify for CEWS; this is down from the requirement to show a 30% reduction in revenues from March 2020 vs March 2019. Charities and nonprofits that receive funding from the federal government will have the option of including or excluding that funding from their revenue calculations, which should make it easier to qualify. This is worth noting for many arts organizations that receive grants! As previously announced, businesses will need to apply every month and attest to a revenue drop each month. There will be serious consequences for any businesses that try to skirt the rules: Applicants will need to designate someone with control over their finances to make sure their claims are appropriate. Any business that receives the benefit and is then deemed to be ineligible will have to repay the amount. Anyone caught abusing the program could face penalties of up to 225% of what they received and 5 years in prison. This is a high-trust program and abuses will not be tolerated. The CEWS is critical to ensuring the continued strength of the Canadian economy and our business sector. It will help companies retain their workers, help employees keep their jobs, and allow companies to function as much as possible during the pandemic while setting the stage to come roaring back after the pandemic is over. Other key points on CEWS: The CEWS would apply at a rate of 75% of the first $58,700 normally earned by employees, representing a benefit of up to $847 per week, per employee. The program will be in place for a 12-week period, from March 15 to June 6, 2020 Employers of all sizes and across all sectors of the economy will be eligible, with certain exceptions including public sector entities. An eligible employer’s entitlement to this wage subsidy will be based entirely on the salary or wages actually paid to employees. All employers will be expected to make best efforts to bring employees’ wages to their pre-crisis levels. Employers will be allowed to measure revenues either on the basis of accrual accounting (as they are earned) or cash accounting (as they are received). Special rules will also be provided to address issues for corporate groups, non-arm’s length entities and joint ventures. In order to make it easier and more cost effective for employers to rehire people previously laid off, the federal government is also proposing that employers eligible for the CEWS be entitled to receive a 100% refund for certain employer-paid contributions to Employment Insurance, the Canada Pension Plan, the Quebec Pension Plan, and the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan. Why is the Business Wage Subsidy Taking So Long to implement? Both the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister received questions today about why the CEWS is taking time to implement. Here are some important points: A wage subsidy has never been done in Canada before. This $71 billion package is the largest economic support package in Canada’s history, and likely to be the largest in our lifetimes, so it is very important to get it right. Our government understands how urgent the situation is for many businesses. The CRA is working around the clock to bring this program online, and we originally said it would take 3 to 6 weeks. We are now determined to beat the 3 week timeline. This wage subsidy must be approved by the House of Commons. Before it is implemented the wage subsidy has to be approved by Parliament – accountability is paramount and our democratic institutions have to be respected. Government House Leaders for all parties are working to determine when Parliament will reconvene to pass this and other recently announced measures. Applications for Canada Emergency Business Loans Open! Interested businesses can apply to the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loan beginning tomorrow: CEBA will give access to interest-free loans of up to $40,000 for small businesses and nonprofits. Apply at your financial institution (including some credit unions). 25% ($10,000) will be forgivable if repaid by December 21, 2022. Changes to Canada Summer Jobs Program Announced The Prime Minister announced new changes to the Canada Summer Jobs Program. We recognize that young people are especially vulnerable in a time like this, since they are new to the workforce, likely don’t have much money saved up, and need to build work experience and earn money to cover tuition and living expenses. I have heard from many students in Davenport who are worried about how COVID-19 will affect their summer employment opportunities, so this news is for you! Changes include: 100% of the provincial minimum hourly wage will be covered for each student employee. An extension to the end date for employment to February 28, 2021. allowing employers to hire staff on a part-time basis. Those who have applied already do not have to reapply - your application will still be consider; but if you want to resubmit an application for students to do different jobs targeting COVID-19 essential services - you can do so. But new applications are also encouraged for those who want to hire students to support essential services such as supporting COVID-19 community programming, supporting Canada’s food security and supply chains, filling temporary vacancies due to COVID-19, and working with vulnerable populations. I will be reaching out to organizations in our riding to answer questions about this revised program and encourage applications! Latest Update from Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam Dr. Tam said today that over 359,000 Canadians have been tested to date, with around 5% confirmed positive. Dr. Tam’s team continues to work with provinces to get them everything they need to expand their testing capacity, especially provinces like Ontario that still need to ramp up testing. For COVID-19 statistics in Canada, click here. Dr. Tam has put out a direct call to volunteers across the country who have public health or health care experience. To apply click on the link above. If you think you have symptoms of COVID-19, use the self-assessment tool. Why Not Implement Universal Basic Income Now? There were many questions raised today to our Prime Minister and our cabinet ministers about whether Canada has considered implementing Universal Basic Income (UBI) during this crisis: It was explained that the government felt that we were able to more quickly deliver much needed financial support to targeted Canadians (most in need) through CERB and CWES. It was felt that using these existing channels allowed us to get the money out more rapidly than any other program. Other advantages are that the temporary Business Wage Subsidy (vs UBI) helps maintain the critical link between employer and employee, gives employees comfort that they still have a job, allows businesses to remain as operational as they can through this pandemic; and it sets the stage for companies to come roaring back after the height of the pandemic is over. The specific measures we have introduced are also intended to help stop the recession from becoming a depression. As previously stated, I've been a supporter of seriously looking at UBI in Canada as a potential new base of our social welfare system The data we collect and the lessons we learn will help inform how we move forward on UBI and other new programs to support and transition Canadian workers as we come out of this pandemic. Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) Q&A The Employment Minister, the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, revealed that we received over 750,000 applications to the CERB yesterday (Tuesday), to a total of 1.72 million applications this week. Here are some answers to questions that we have been asked: Q: I’m eligible for EI and I applied already. Can I cancel it to apply for CERB? A: No. If you applied for EI after March 15, you will be automatically moved over. Otherwise, if you applied before March 15, your application for EI will be handled as usual. Q: If my EI is running out soon, can I apply for CERB after? A: Stay tuned for more information. Q: I am receiving both EI and CERB at once. Is this allowed? A: If this has happened to you, this is a glitch. You will be asked to pay it back to CRA. Q: I’ve earned a bit of income. Can I apply for CERB? A: Not now. The Prime Minister has indicated there will be more support for you coming soon – stay tuned. Q: I applied for CERB in error. How can I cancel my application? A: Call 1‑800‑959‑2019 or 1‑800‑959‑2041. Q: I want to take CERB now, but I also plan to go on EI maternity leave. What should I do? A: You will need to apply for EI maternity leave when you become eligible. CERB does not disqualify you or reduce the number of weeks you have for maternity leave, but you can't be on both programs at once. You will be transferred between programs. Q: I am an international student already working on campus. Am I eligible? A: If your visa allows you to work in Canada and you have a valid SIN, then yes. Q: I am a Canadian reporting my income in Canada, but I’m abroad now. Am I eligible? A: If you have a valid SIN, then yes. Q: Will we be extending the Service Canada phone service? A: Yes, it’s already been launched. Q: I collected ODSP/CPP/CDPP. Does this disqualify me from CERB? A: No. As long as you meet all the other requirements, you may qualify. Q: I want to apply, but I have limited internet … is there a number I can call? A: Call 1‑800‑959‑2019 or 1‑800‑959‑2041. More Much-Needed Supplies Arriving Daily!! The first batch of masks from 3M arrived at 11:20 pm last night. The masks are being distributed now to the provinces that ordered them (my understanding is Ontario will be a beneficiary of this). Our federal government is ensuring these critical supplies get to their destinations as quickly as possible. Once supplies are distributed, it is up to the provinces to make sure that they are getting to frontline workers, both healthcare workers and anyone supporting vulnerable community members including people experiencing homelessness, people in women's shelters, and other vulnerable groups. I will be touching base with our provincial and local representatives to ensure that all local needs are addressed. Urgent Cancer Surgeries Cancelled. What Can Be Done? Dr. Tam indicated today that the Chief Medical Officers of Health of each province have the very difficult responsibility of deciding which critical surgeries or emergency surgeries can continue now, and which can be postponed. She mentioned the mobilization around COVID-19 and that some parts of Canada are reaching a peak of COVID-19 cases. Most, if not all healthcare resources are directed to focus on this issue. The issue of delayed surgeries has been raised at the national level; and my understanding is that provincial chief medical officers are seized with this issue and are constantly evaluating how fast they can return to performing critical operations like advanced cancer surgeries (and redirect capacity from the COVID-19 battle). I know is top of mind for many Davenport residents and families and so will continue to provide information and updates moving forward. Davenport Questions and Answers Q: If I lost my job before the COVID-19 epidemic, but I can’t find work now, can I apply for the CERB? A: No, you are not eligible. If you lost your job before March 15, you can still apply for regular EI benefits. If you were fired or released for cause unrelated to COVID-19, unfortunately you are not eligible for the CERB. If you are a student worried about summer employment, stay tuned for more information on the changes to the Canada Summer Jobs program (detailed above). Q: What is Canada doing to prevent infection of prison populations? A: Our federal government is very aware of the extra risk posed to vulnerable populations including those currently in prison. The Public Safety Minister, the Honourable Bill Blair, has taken steps to release some non-violent inmates early to help maintain distancing within prisons. Volunteer and Donation Services in Davenport—Help Out or Find Help Food banks are experiencing a huge surge in demand during COVID-19, while at the same time seeing a drop in volunteers and donations. Not all of us can, but if you have extra time or wish to donate please help one of our Davenport food banks. They really need your help! Community Food Banks in Davenport These two local food banks do amazing work for Davenport: The Stop Oasis Dufferin Volunteer Groups in Davenport These groups are connecting volunteers to Davenport residents who need all kinds of help. Davenport Helps Regal Heights COVID-19 Help Group Help For Disadvantaged and Vulnerable People in Davenport Abrigo has just let us know that they are delivering their services over the phone To help out our doctors, nurses, and hospitals, please donate blood! Blood donations are always needed, especially in emergencies. Go to Blood.ca to learn more. Stay up to date at all levels of government Canada – Federal: Canada.ca/coronavirus Ontario – Provincial: Ontario.ca/coronavirus Toronto – City:Toronto.ca/coronavirus Finally, thank you once again for doing your part to help crush the curve! Please find virtual ways to stay connected – physical distancing is more important than ever, but we are lucky to have so many tools to stay in touch. Finally, thank you once again for doing your part to help crush the curve! Keep staying home as much as possible, no matter how nice it gets outside. If you have questions that are not addressed by the links above, please email me sahartv@live.com or call 647-856-6222, and we will work to get you a response. again Thanks for Watching Sahar-TV Network , The window for better life, Multicultural Community Program. http://www.mamanzaytv.com/ All my best Lalaka