On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced more details on the $1 billion regional relief and recovery fund, which is intended to assist the tourism sector and seasonal businesses that did not qualify for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy or the Canada Emergency Business Account.
The funding will flow through the six regional development agencies in Canada, including FedDev Ontario and FedNor, with a portion of that funding going towards the Community Futures Network in order to assist businesses in remote and rural regions.
The prime minister also announced Wednesday that students and recent graduates can begin applying for the Canada Emergency Student Benefit beginning this Friday.
Trudeau has also promised stronger screening measures at the Canada - U.S. border. The mutual ban on non-essential travel expires May 21, and it's unclear if the travel ban will be extended.
The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples has filed a court application challenging the federal government's "inadequate and discriminatory funding during the COVID-19 pandemic."
In provincial news, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced plans Wednesday to redeploy education workers to congregate care settings in an effort to address staffing shortages during the COVID-19 crisis.
Education minister Stephen Lecce says the redeployment of education workers will be voluntary, and that all workers plucked from the education system will receive full training and personal protective equipment.
"Education sector staff who wish to volunteer will receive further information from their local employers. Local school boards and local unions must first sign an agreement to permit redeployment for employees who wish to volunteer," the province stated in its background information on the new framework. "School boards will review applications for volunteers based on their operational requirements. It may not be feasible for all staff who wish to volunteer to have their request granted."
Read the full news release from the province here.
Ontario has also issued an emergency order allowing the province to control management of long-term care homes hardest hit by COVID-19.
Reports have surfaced indicating that Premier Doug Ford will announce the reopening of Ontario golf courses when plans for the next stage in the reopening of the economy are released Thursday.
Ontario reported 329 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, along with 40 new deaths and 454 recoveries.
In local news, SooToday's David Helwig reports that city council meetings could look very different in a post-COVID Sault Ste. Marie.
The Sault Ste. Marie and Area Drug Strategy has compiled a list of mental heath and addictions supports for the public during the COVID-19 crisis.
Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers from Algoma Public Health:
- 5,281 tested
- 16 positive
- 4,881 negative
- 384 pending
- 0 deceased
- 13 resolved
Total confirmed cases by area of residence:
- 12 in Sault Ste. Marie and area, with evidence of community spread
- 1 in central and east Algoma
- 3 in Elliot Lake and area ***
- 0 in north Algoma
Algoma Public Health states, “these numbers now include testing that was completed at long-term care homes (LTCH) in the Algoma district as part of the province’s one-time surveillance testing initiative. Staff and residents of all Algoma LTCHs have completed one-time surveillance testing.”
*** Three positive cases in Elliot Lake and area have been confirmed by Elliot Lake Family Health Team
Click here for a SooToday list of what's still open in the Sault.
