COVID-19: A whole-of-government response

March 17, 2020

In these challenging times, the Liberal team has your back — and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the entire government are taking every action needed to protect the health and safety of Canadians, and our economy.

Here’s a quick summary of recent steps:

Last week, Justin Trudeau announced a $1 billion COVID-19 Response Fund. This will provide money to provinces and territories to support our healthcare system & workers, support public health preparedness and research, and help limit the spread of the virus.

The Liberal government is also waiving the one-week waiting period for EI sick leave benefits to kick in, and enhancing the Work-Sharing Program to help employers who are facing a downturn in business. Finance Minister Bill Morneau also announced a further $10 billion commitment to help stabilize our economy and protect workers and businesses across the country.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister also announced that Canada will deny entry to most people who are not citizens or permanent residents, as well as anyone who shows symptoms of COVID- 19 before boarding.

In addition, every traveller will need to remain in self isolation for 14 days if they come to Canada by plane or through the land border — and international entry is also being limited to YYZ (Toronto), YUL (Montreal), YVR (Vancouver), and YYC (Calgary).

The Liberal government is also hard at work to create the right support package for Canadians, while protecting people’s jobs and our economy. And tomorrow, the government will be making another major announcement on economic actions to support Canadians as quickly as possible.

As the Prime Minister said today, we also need to be thinking about how we lighten the load of our dedicated frontline health care workers, and keep our families and communities safe. Do wash your hands often. Do sneeze into your elbow. And don’t gather in groups of more than 50 people. We know that these measures, and especially social distancing, are how we can ease the burden on our doctors and nurses, so they can focus on our fellow Canadians who need it most.

Whether it’s for details on social distancing, prevention, travel info, or more, Canada.ca/Coronavirus has the most up-to-date information and resources to help keep you and your loved ones safe and prepared.

Your health and safety will always be our top priority — and on behalf of all of us at the Liberal Party of Canada, thank you for the work you’re doing to support our communities, our frontline healthcare workers, and all Canadians.

All my best,

Azam Ishmael
National Director, Liberal Party of Canada

17 March, 2020