Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks in the House of Commons in Ottawa as Parliament was recalled to consider measures related to the Covid-19 pandemic on April 11. Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP

In a rare Saturday session, Canadian lawmakers passed legislation that will subsidize up to 75% of workers’ salaries to avoid even more mass layoffs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, now out of quarantine after his wife tested positive for the virus in March, attended the scaled-down session with a "quorum" of about 20 lawmakers.

Opposition parties joined Trudeau’s governing party to unanimously approve the wage-subsidy scheme, which will cost more than $50 billion (in US currency) and will be applied retroactively to days worked since March 15.

A majority of Canadian companies are likely to qualify for the subsidy.