Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the Canada Emergency Student Benefit Wednesday as part of a $9 billion aid package for students.
The benefit will provide eligible post-secondary students receive payments of $1,250 per month from the Canada Revenue Agency from May to August.
Trudeau also announced the Canada Service Grant, which will provide $1,000 - $5,000 to students who do volunteer work in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The federal government anticipates that 76,000 student jobs - in addition to the Canada Student Jobs program - will be created this summer as a result of the student aid package announced Wednesday.
In provincial news, Ontario reported 510 positive cases of COVID-19 and 37 more deaths Wednesday.
10,361 tests were completed in a single day, with 6,845 still awaiting results.
Recoveries have also increased by 415, bringing the percentage of recovered cases to just over 50 per cent.
Premier Doug Ford announced Wednesday that Ontario will be making a formal request to the federal government for help - in the form of staffing and other resources from the Canadian Armed Forces and Public Health Canada - in fighting COVID-19 in five priority long-term care homes.
Ontario Northland is cutting back its bus service due to low passenger demand during the COVID-19 crisis.
In local news, The Salvation Army has seen a dramatic increase in local clients needing food due to job losses and other hardships caused by COVID-19.
Mayor Christian Provenzano and SooToday's Mike Purvis will fire up Google Meet once again tomorrow for a 20-minute Q&A (approximately) based on your questions about COVID-19.
Send your questions to news@sootoday.com and we'll try to fit them in.
In local entertainment news, more than a dozen musicians, actors and entertainers will go live in support of local front-line agencies during Come Together Sault Ste. Marie, a virtual COVID-19 benefit concert that will be streamed on SooToday Thursday, April 23 at 7 p.m.
Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers from Algoma Public Health:
- 1,499 tested
- 12 positive
- 1,084 negative
- 403 pending
- 0 deceased
- 9 resolved
Total confirmed cases by area of residence:
- 8 in Sault Ste. Marie and area
- 1 in central and east Algoma
- 3 in Elliot Lake and area ***
- 0 in north Algoma
*** Three positive cases in Elliot Lake and area have been confirmed by Elliot Lake Family Health Team, but not Algoma Public Health
Click here for a SooToday list of what's still open in the Sault.
