Canada Providing $900 Bi-weekly Relief to Those Isolated By COVID-19

How a nation should be taking care of its citizens during a global pandemic.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

As Canadians watched in shock as the effects of COVID-19 began to sweep across the globe, one question became apparent. How will people be taken care of at a time when they may not be able to take care of themselves?

Over the last few years, Canadians have become increasingly more dissatisfied with their financial situations. Graduates who were promised comfortable office jobs found themselves in unpaid internships. Living at home in the endless cycle of job applications was becoming a full-time career. Others went to the only industry that would pay them: the service industry. While the minimum wage in the province of Ontario was raised to $15/hour, the market met the increased wages by charging more on products. Many Ontario-locals felt as if nothing had changed at all.

For Canadians, the question of what was going to happen if the virus shut down their workplaces was quickly becoming a very real issue. Concerns also arose from the fear of a workplace infection. If one person came to work sick because they couldn’t afford to stay home, the entire business might be shut down indefinitely.

Retail stores like Best Buy, Apple, Sephora, and H&M will either be closing their doors or reducing the hours they will be open. If people can’t work, how are they going to survive? Many Canadians are isolated at home with limited access to essential items. However, when the emergency funds run out, and the income isn’t coming in, what is going to happen?

The Canadian government had been deliberating for several weeks on this very issue, before finally creating a temporary solution. Although not perfect, it is a crucial first step in governments keeping their focus on the most important parts of a country. It’s citizens.

Quietly, and from deep within, an old motto began to rise.

I am proud to be Canadian.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled this week a new economic aid package to help Canadians during this time of uncertainty and financial distress.

What will be provided is faster access to Unemployment Insurance (UI) for those who have stopped working due to infection. For those who do not qualify for any form of unemployment insurance, relief is also given.

The Canadian government is rolling out The COVID-19 Economic Response Plan. A $27 billion support plan intended to assist Canadians at this incredibly difficult time.

It will offer, as well as added EI support, an Emergency Care Benefit of $900 Bi-weekly to anyone quarantined or sick from the virus who do not typically qualify for Unemployment Insurance.

For any citizen who needs help, $1800 a month will be provided to support their financial difficulties during a pandemic that we could be facing for a long time. For up to 15 weeks, with more to be provided if necessary later, relief can be given to those in need.

The collective sigh of relief from the nation has been immediate. Suddenly those who are unemployed for various reasons can now be protected if they are quarantined. For those being told to stay at home and self-isolate, the fear of not being able to pay rent, utilities, or food, is slowly going away.

The Canadian Universal Healthcare system may help citizens not have to deal with most medical expenses. However, for those quarantined and being monitored in hospitals, aid can be given to their families. Single parents who may be infected can breathe a sigh of relief as financial support will be given to their families.

Other important benefits of the program include waiving the one-week waiting period for those applying for Unemployment Insurance and removing the requirement for providing a medical certificate to access those benefits. Workers who are currently quarantined and are unable to apply can do so at a later date and have access to backdated financial relief.

For those wanting to apply for the benefits package, it is relatively simple.

Apply Online — keep in mind the system is overwhelmed with applicants at the moment and is experiencing interruptions. Gather supporting documents — this is not a priority, though, as you can gather employment records at a later date, and the need for a medical certificate is not required for those quarantined. Wait for your application to be approved.

The most important part of this action being taken by the government is this: Action is being taken. Recently around the globe, we have seen government action take place in different forms. Italy has isolated the entire nation, as well as beginning to defer or suspend payments on finances for citizens. South Korea has provided a direct phone number for the CDC to quarantined individuals wherein medical volunteers will arrive at their homes to test them for the virus and provide care and information if they test positive.

The slow reaction of the American government thus far has had many Canadians on edge about how their own government would respond. While the systems being put in place are new and untested, they are a great start.

A benefits package is also being provided to those who are stranded abroad. Canadians living and working in other countries can also have access to a $5000 loan, which will be used to cover the cost of flying home as well as expenses related to relocating to the homeland. Several Canadian citizens are working abroad teaching English in affected countries such as South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, and China. They may not have the financial ability to break their employment contracts and pay for an expensive flight home. These added benefits, also included in The COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, are much appreciated by those stranded abroad.

This global pandemic is not something that will “vanish by April.” It will be something we will be dealing with for a long time. We are all in this together, citizens and governments, and the people of all nations. We will only get through this by working together. And the Canadian government, as well as other governments, are showing that swift and appropriate responses are going to make everything much easier.

I am proud to be Canadian.