Canada Emergency Response Benefit expanded to include more impacted workers

More help is on the way for Canadians affected by COVID-19.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced an expansion of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit to provide a wage boost to essential workers who earn less than $2,500 dollars a month, such as those in long-term care homes.

“The uncomfortable and tragic truth is that the very places that care for our elderly are the most vulnerable to COVID-19. I will be addressing this with the premiers tomorrow night,” stated Trudeau.

The PM will talk with the provincial leaders about getting the wage boost in place “as quickly as possible.”

People who make $1,000 or less a month, will be able to apply for the benefit, which provides up to $500 a week for four months.

Workers who have run out of Employment Insurance benefits as of January can also apply for it, as can seasonal workers who’s jobs have been impacted.

Trudeau also announced the launch of a mental health portal on the canada.ca website to provide support.

The P-M also says Canada is not considering freezing funding to the World Health Organization, as the U.S is planning, adding Canada’s contribution to the agency is in the “tens of millions of dollars a year. ”

“Tomorrow I will have an opportunity to speak with other G-7 leaders to talk about how we can properly coordinate our efforts and continue to work together to fight COVID-19,” said Trudeau.

The minority government Liberal leader used his strongest language yet in warning Canadians are going to have to live in a state of partial shutdown for weeks to come.

Trudeau said Canada is still contending with the first wave of the novel coronavirus pandemic and that loosening restrictions too quickly could mean the country ends up in a peak just as bad as this one — or worse.

Trudeau says he understands that people are impatient to get out and wanting this to be over.