Canada Coronavirus Relief Schemes: With 5 Essential Schemes

As we all know COVID‑19 pandemic is a global threat that does not recognize borders. We can only overcome it through coordinated global action.

The Government of Canada has been taking prompt and powerful actions for the Canada coronavirus relief through Canada’s ‘COVID-19 Economic Response Plan’ to support businesses, people, and organizations. The scheme has been adapted to help them curb the hardship resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak.

Canada has done a vigorous global effort for Canada coronavirus relief to stop COVID‑19 and address its crushing health, social, economic and security impacts on people all around the world.

Support Funding for Canada Coronavirus Relief

This fund helps native communities and organizations with the three prevent, prepare and respond to COVID-19. Canada acknowledged that First Nations, Inuit and Métis are at the most risk.

During this crisis, in particular, remote areas and fly-in-only parts of the country are disparately vulnerable.

To date, Canada has distributed more than $2.7 billion in international assistance in response to this global pandemic. It includes:

• COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, the critical international partnership, ensures equitable access to COVID‑19 tests, treatments and vaccines (over $1.3 billion).

• Funding for humanitarian and development assistance for responding to the urgent needs stemming from the pandemic (over $740 million).

• To check on existing funding arrangements, an amount of $541 million, with partners to ensure that their activities are able to address all the required and urgent needs in the developing countries.

Furthermore, in April 2020, Canada extended a $1 billion loan to the International Monetary Fund’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust for COVID-19 pandemic relief in Canada.

Since May 2020, Canada has provided more than $70 million in temporary debt service relief as financial support for the poorest countries through the G20. The Paris Club agreed with the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI).

• Support for Elders and vulnerable community members.

• Observe food insecurity, such as support in the purchase, transportation and distribution of food, and also make sure to access traditional foods through hunting or fishing.

• Educational and other support for children.

• Mental health assistance and emergency response services.

• Cautiousness measures to prevent the expansion of COVID-19.

Despite the fact that the fund was established to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19, it is recommended that communities contact their regional First Nations and Inuit Health Branch contacts for the most up-to-date information on COVID-19 vaccination and support for its rollout on reserves and in Inuit Nunangat.

1. Business Support

Let’s check on what financial and other money-related supports are available during COVID‑19.

1.1. Financial Support

Suppose you or someone you know is in a crisis or other type of emergency situation and needs assistance paying for food and housing but is not eligible for the Canada coronavirus relief scheme.

In that case, you can apply for COVID-19 emergency assistance. All you need to do is register on Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).

If someone needs money to travel to get a COVID-19 vaccination, they can speak with their caseworker.

If someone has other exceptional COVID‑19-related costs, they can ask their caseworker about discretionary benefits.

1.2. Wage and Hiring Support

You may be eligible for a subsidy to cover part of your employee wages. This Canada coronavirus relief scheme will equip you to re-hire workers, help prevent further job losses, and ease the business back into normal operations.

Eligible employers can ask for one of the following, whichever gives the highest amount. But for each applicable claim period:

• Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program

• Hardest-Hit Businesses Recovery Program

• Canada Recovery Hiring Program

• Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy

1.3. Rent and Property Expense Support

You may be eligible for aid to cover part of your commercial rent or property expenses.

Through one of the following, depending on the period person is applying for, they may be eligible to claim the commercial rent or expenses of properties:

• Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy

• Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program

• Hardest-Hit Businesses Recovery Program

1.4. Job and Growth Fund

In this Canada coronavirus relief project, the all-over jobs and growth fund is a $700-million program that supports regional job creation and positions local economies for long-term growth. It adds up to $70 million dedicated to businesses created after January 2020.

The Fund will help businesses and organizations with financial help:

• Support the transition to a green economy

• Foster an inclusive recovery

• Increase competitiveness through digital adoption to improve Canada’s productivity and manufacturing processes.

• Strengthen capacity in critical sectors for Canada’s recovery and growth

1.5. Extending the Work-Sharing Program

For employers affected by COVID-19, the maximum duration of the work-sharing programme has been increased from 38 weeks to 76 weeks under Canada’s coronavirus relief strategy.

1.6. Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program (HASCAP)

The Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program gives businesses impacted by COVID-19 guaranteed access to $25,000 to $1 million of loans with low-interest to cover operational cash flow needs.

HASCAP is also available for businesses that particularly operate in sectors such as:

• Tourism and hospitality

• Restaurants

• Those that primarily rely on in-person services

1.7. Self-Employed Workers

Eligible workers who can’t go to work due to a temporary local lockdown will receive $300 per week from Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit between October 24, 2021, and May 7, 2022.

This benefit is only available if your region is under a COVID-19 lockdown.

Every week, the CRSB pays workers $500 ($450 after taxes are deducted) for up to six weeks if they:

• are can’t work because they contracted COVID-19(for at least 50% of the week)

• are self-isolated for reasons related to COVID-19

Kindly note this benefit is only available until May 7, 2022.

2. People Support

2.1. Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit

From October 24, 2021, to May 7, 2022, the Canada Worker Lockdown benefit is providing $300 a week to eligible workers. It is specifically designed for those who are unable to find work due to the temporary lockdown.

This benefit is only available when the order for COVID-19 lockdown is designated for a particular region.

2.2. Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit

Workers who meet the below-mentioned criteria are eligible for the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit, which pays $500 per week, that takes up to six weeks:

• Are not able to work for at least 50% of the week because they are affected by COVID-19.
• Have basic conditions such as undergoing treatments or having contracted other sicknesses that, according to a medical practitioner, any medical nurse practitioner, or other higher person in authority would make them more susceptible to COVID-19.

2.3. Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit

The CRCB, another initiative of the Canada Coronavirus Relief Scheme, is providing $500 per week for people who are unable to work. But they must have to take care of a child under 12 years old or other family members who require special attention and care. (For up to 44 weeks)

3. Other Sector Support

3.1. Tourism Relief Fund

In other sectors, the Tourism Relief Fund will help position Canada as a destination of choice when domestic and international travel is deemed safe by:

• Empowering tourism dealings to create new or enhance existing tourism experiences and products to attract more local and domestic visitors.

• Helping the venture reposition itself to welcome international visitors by providing the best Canadian tourism experiences we have to offer the world.

• The TRF provides repayable contributions up to $500,000 or non-repayable contributions up to $100,000 to businesses that want to enhance or design new tourism experiences. Some other organizations, like, Not-for-profit organizations and Indigenous, are not generating profits; all are also eligible for non-repayable contributions.

3.2. Aquaculture and Fisheries

The Canadian Seafood Stabilization Fund will provide $62.5 million in new funding to the fish and seafood processing industry.

Businesses will benefit from this:

• Add storage capacity for the unsold product.

• Follow the new health and safety measures for workers

• Support new automated technologies in manufacturing and improving productivity and quality of finished seafood products; and,

• Adapt new products to respond to the changing requirements of the new market stipulations.

3.3. Culture, Heritage, and Sport

The support for booksellers, a sub-component of the Canada Book Fund, helps Canadian booksellers increase their sales. It aims at enhancing their ability to sell books online.

The Community Sport for All Initiative component of the Sport Support Program will provide $80 million over two years to support organized sports to help them recover from the impacts of COVID-19.

For helping Canadian festivals survive and adapt to the pandemic, there’s also the Major Festivals and Events Support Initiative for two years, with the amount of a $200-million national fund.

4. Children and Youth Support

Children and Youth support continue to operate and provide services to children. Societies are also encouraged to use technology with assistance where possible and appropriate, as long as they follow local public health guidelines.

Throughout the COVID‑19 outbreak, youth who turn 18 and 21 will not age out of them all the services and support they are currently receiving through children’s aid support.

Some service providers are offering some services via video and phone applications in accordance with public health guidelines. They’ve reintroduced some in-person services for children with special needs, as well as their families.

5. Mental Health, Wellness, and Addictions Support

The BounceBack is a free phone-based skill-building programme for adults and youth aged 15 and up. You’ll work through a series of workbooks under the guidance of a coach. To learn how to deal with anxiety, low mood, anxiety, worry, and stress in a practical way. It is a great support to learn how to improve your mood by altering the way you think, act, and react to situations.

With mental health assistance and emergency response services, there’s also educational and other support for children from the government of Canada.

Other than children, as a part of the Canada Coronavirus Relief Scheme, there’s support for Elders and vulnerable community members.

5.1. Equitable Access to Vaccines, Tests and Treatments

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, December 2020, announced that any vaccine doses left over after meeting Canada’s domestic needs would be shared with countries in need.

Since then, Canada has pledged and achieved a donation to the COVAX Facility of at least 200 million doses by the end of 2022. It includes over 50 million vaccine doses purchased by Canada, as well as financial assistance to COVAX for vaccine procurement and delivery.

Canada has shared approximately 762,000 doses of the vaccine (AstraZeneca) with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean through direct bilateral agreements.

These were some of the Canada Coronavirus Relief Schemes introduced over time in the country. Do let us know what to do you think of this article.

Also read: “Delta Variant Symptoms: Know 8 Alarming COVID Delta Variant Symptoms Here“.