Canada expands definition of ‘lockdown’ to help workers and businesses

It’s been a crazy week, to say the least. On the heels of the Omicron variant sweeping through the country, provinces have brought back a variety of measures to curb the spread of the virus. And today, the federal government of Canada expanded the definition of a ‘lockdown’ to help out those affected. Here’s what to know about it.

Starting today, more workers and businesses will have access to both the Local Lockdown Program and the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit. For employers, the Local Lockdown Program will provide up to 75% of rent and wage subsidies to those facing capacity restrictions of 50% or more.

Related Posts:
The NHL has officially backed out of the Winter Olympics
Dan Levy wants you to give the gift of a ‘re-education in the history of Canada’ this Xmas

On the flipside, the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit is all about employees. Now, workers that have lost 50% or more of their eligible income due to capacity restrictions will be eligible for $300 a week in income support. Both of these new measures are in place starting this past weekend (Sunday, December 19th) and will be available until February 12th, 2022.

So, while the recent Omicron wave and the resulting measures weren’t exactly on our Christmas wishlist, it’s nice to know that the federal government is stepping up to the plate about it. For more information on these new measures, head to the Government of Canada’s website.