Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

"We're Tired Of Covid, But...": Canada Expands Aid Amid Omicron Surge

"We're Tired Of Covid, But...": Canada Expands Aid Amid Omicron Surge

Canada will expand support programs to help people and businesses hit by the Omicron variant of COVID-19, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday, acknowledging that Canadians were fed up with the pandemic.
Theresa Tam, the country's chief public health officer, urged Canadians to take precautions, saying in a news conference that "the situation can rapidly get out of hand anywhere." The highly-contagious Omicron variant is spreading rapidly in Canada, prompting several of the 10 provinces to reimpose restrictions.

Trudeau, revealing that three of his staff and another three members of his security detail had tested positive for the virus, said he knew Canadians did not want to be facing another threat.

"None of us want to be here - we're tired of COVID, we want it to just go away. But we know it's not going to just go away unless we all do our part," he said in the same briefing.

Canada has 2,360 confirmed Omicron cases to date. Daily new cases jumped to 11,300 on Tuesday.

"We're especially worried about the potential impact of a sudden and strong surge on the healthcare system," Tam said.

Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, the three most populous Canadian provinces, have announced a range of restrictions to fight Omicron, which business associations warned would hit restaurants and bars particularly hard.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland told the briefing that Ottawa was temporarily expanding programs designed to cover the costs of wages and rent.

This expansion, which runs until Feb. 12, 2022, will help businesses that have seen their capacity cut by 50% or more because of measures introduced to curb COVID-19.

The total cost of the measures would be C$4 billion ($3.1 billion), which will be fully covered by a contingency fund the government announced earlier this month, Freeland said.

Ottawa said in October it would wind down much of its pandemic-related support in late October, citing the recovering economy and the success of vaccination efforts.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Unelected PM of the UK holds an emergency meeting because a candidate got voted in… which he says is a threat to democracy…
Farmers break through police barriers in Brussels.
Ukraine Arrests Father-Son Duo In Lockbit Cybercrime Bust
US Offers $15 Million For Info On Leaders Of Cybercrime Group Lockbit
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
Alexei Navalny: UK sanctions Russian prison chiefs after activist's death
German economy is in 'troubled waters' - ministry
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
Tucker Carlson says Boris Johnson wants "a million dollars, in Bitcoin or cash, from Tucker Carlson to talk about Ukraine.
Russia is rebuilding capacity to destabilize European countries, new UK report warns
EU Commission wants anti-drone defenses at Brussels HQ
Von der Leyen’s 2nd-term pitch: More military might, less climate talk
EU Investigates TikTok for Child Safety Concerns
EU Launches Probe Into TikTok Over Child Protection Under Digital Content Law
EU and UK Announce Joint Effort on Migration
Ministers Confirm Proposal to Prohibit Mobile Phone Usage in English Schools
Avdiivka - Symbol Of Ukrainian Resistance Now In Control Of Russian Troops
"Historic Step": Zelensky Signs Security Pact With Germany
"Historic Step": Zelensky Signs Security Pact With Germany
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
Tucker Carlson grocery shopping in Russia. This is so interesting.
France and Germany Struggle to Align on European Defense Strategy
‘A lot higher than we expected’: Russian arms production worries Europe’s war planners
Greece Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage and Adoption Rights
Russia "Very Close" To Creating Cancer Vaccines, Says Vladimir Putin
Hungarian Foreign Minister: Europeans will lose Europe, the Union's policy must change drastically
Microsoft says it caught hackers from China, Russia and Iran using its AI tools
US Rejects Putin's Ceasefire Offer in Ukraine
The Dangers of Wildfire Smoke and Self-Protection Strategies
A Londoner has been arrested for expressing his Christian beliefs.
Chinese Women Favor AI Boyfriends Over Humans
Greece must address role in migrant vessel disaster that killed 600: Amnesty
Google pledges 25 million euros to boost AI skills in Europe
Hungarian President Katalin Novák Steps Down Amid Pardon Controversy
Activist crashes Hillary Clinton's speech, calls her a 'war criminal.'
In El Salvador, the 'Trump of Latin America' stuns the world with a speech slamming woke policing after winning a landslide election
Trudeau reacts to Putin's mention of Canadian Parliament applauding a former Ukrainian Nazi in his interview with Tucker Carlson.
The Spanish police blocked the farmers protest. So the farmers went out and moved the police car out of the way.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy fires top Ukraine army commander
Tucker Carlson's interview with Vladimir Putin raises EU concerns
Finnish Airline, Finnair, is voluntarily weighing passengers to better estimate flight cargo weight
Russia's Economy Expands by 3.6% Due to Increased Military Spending
Ukraine MPs Vote To Permit Use Of Dead Soldiers' Sperm
German Princess Becomes First Aristocrat To Pose Naked On Playboy Cover
UK’s King Charles III diagnosed with cancer
EU's Ursula von der Leyen Confronts Farmer Protests Amid Land Policy Debates
Distinguishing Between Harmful AI Media and Positive AI-Generated Content: A Crucial Challenge for the EU
Tucker Carlson explains why he interviewed Putin
Dutch farmers are still protesting in the Netherlands against the government, following the World Economic Forum's call for 'owning nothing.'
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stands up for European farmers and says, 'Brussels is suffocating European farmers.
×