COVID-19 Updates

Police and other enforcement officers will now be able to enforce orders under the Emergency Program Act and issue fines of $2,000, focusing on price gouging and the resellign of medical and other essential equipment. 

A new resource for BC Businesses. Connecting businesses with the resources and guidance necessary to navigate challenges due to COVID-19.

Details should be released soon but the program will help businesses pay rent for three months. Prime Minister Trudeau also announced that they are expanding the eligibility of the business loan program.

See related COVID-19 question: I own a business and have lost revenue due to COVID-19? Is there any support available?

In order to help more Canadians access the help they need, eligibility rules for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) have been expanded:

• Allows people who are earning up to $1000 to receive CERB money
• Extends CERB to seasonal workers who have exhausted EI benefits and cannot return to seasonal work due to COVID-19
• Extends the CERB to workers who have exhausted EI benefits and can no longer go to work or find work as a consequence of COVID-19 

For more information, see: How can I apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

The BC Temporary Rental Supplement Program (BC-TRS) can provide up to $500 a month to help for eligible renters. The rental supplements are for April, May and June 2020. It will cover part of the rent for low- and moderate-income renters who have lost income as a result of COVID-19. Payments are made directly to the landlords of eligible households. To learn more about the program see www.bchousing.org/BCTRS and to apply see here.

The BC government announced it will be setting aside $5 million to expand mental health services during the pandemic.

For information on mental health supports available to British Columbians during COVID-19 see here.

Prime Minister Trudeau announced changes to the requirements for businesses to show revenue loss to qualify for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy.  The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy is to provide companies up to 75% of employees’ salaries, up to $847 a week per employee for 12 weeks, retroactively to March 15, 2020. Businesses can now show a 30% drop in revenue from January or February instead of comparing to revenue from last April. If businesses use March to compare revenue, they only need to show a 15% drop.

For more details see here.

Those returning to BC will need to provide a self-isolation plan for approval. Self-isolation plans can be submitted online or upon arrival.  Emergency Management BC will help travellers with necessary food deliveries, prescription drugs and other supplies so people can safely self-isolate for 14 days. For more information and guidance on these measures see here.

The government announced temporary changes to the Canada Summer Jobs Program. Now, employers who hire summer students can apply for a subsidy of up to 100% of the provincial or territorial hourly minimum wage.

For more information see here.

BC Parks is immediately closing the entire BC Parks system, including all parks, protected areas, conservancies, recreation areas, and ecological reserves. All camping (front and backcountry) is now banned until May 31st, 2020. For more information see www.BCParks.ca/covid-19