Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer calls this week a little flat, COVID-curve flat that is.
Dr. Theresa Tam says labs across the country have tested over 800,000 people for COVID-19 with about 7-percent testing positive.
According to Dr. Tam, Canada has to be very cautious going down the other side of the curve. She says it would be a whole lot easier if this was a well-trodden path with many who have gone before us but we are largely new explorers.
Tam tells Canadians, “We’ll need to curb our enthusiasm and tighten the safety ropes for the way down.” She is also concerned about increasing numbers of cases in First Nations communities in several provinces. As of today, COVID-19 has been reported in all of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories.
Meanwhile, this week saw 316,000 new applications to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.
Canada Revenue Agency and Service Canada data show the CERB has seen 10.31 million applications received to date. Out of those, 10.15 million applications have been processed accounting for $25.63 billion in CERB payments.
And as small business owners know, it’s almost rent day, and some small businesses are still not eligible for the federal government’s commercial rent assistance. The President of Canada’s Treasury Board addressed those struggling stressing the importance of an open conversation between landlords and their renters. Jean-Yves Duclos carried a message to landlords advising them to not only look at the short term rent they are getting but also keeping renters for the long term.
The Deputy Prime Minister chimed in reminding Canadians of the scale of the rent assistance that is compiled on the preexisting federal wage subsidy.
Chrystia Freeland also said rent is being discussed constantly in what is now a weekly First Ministers meeting with the Prime Minister.
**Written by Mo Fahim