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Federal government to announce supports for people, businesses hit by COVID-19 on Wednesday – CBC.ca

Published

5 years ago

March 10, 2020

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce on Wednesday supports for people and businesses affected by COVID-19, CBC News has learned — the first part of a federal package designed to help workers who are forced to stay home from their jobs as the virus spreads and disrupts the economy.

Trudeau will announce supports for those facing “immediate pressures,” with more aid for other sectors to be announced in the coming days.

Ottawa is also leading a pan-Canadian effort to bulk-buy certain medical devices, and the federal government says it will be ready to support provinces needing further assistance to shore up their health care systems as the number of confirmed cases rises.

Trudeau met with top ministers this afternoon, including Finance Minister Bill Morneau and Health Minister Patty Hajdu, as part of the government’s response to a virus that has sickened dozens across Canada and killed one person in B.C.

“We recognize that there are going to be significant economic impacts for Canadians, for workers, for businesses, and that’s why we’re going to be talking very soon about measures that Canada is going to put forward to support people on the economic side,” Trudeau told reporters on his way into question period.

In a speech on Friday, Morneau said Ottawa has the “tools to respond quickly” to economic disruptions and that there will be an “increase in our risk adjustment provision” in the upcoming federal budget.

Stock markets have cratered and the price of oil has dropped to levels not seen in years due to the global panic over the spread of COVID-19. Italy, the world’s ninth largest economy, has locked down travel within the country to slow the spread of the virus.

Royal Bank of Canada CEO David McKay said today the federal government should consider targeted deficit spending to bolster a sputtering economy.

“I don’t think purely monetary rate cuts are going to satisfy the disruption that’s coming at corporate cash flows and consumer cash flows,” McKay said at a conference, citing the Bank of Canada’s decision to cut rates by 50 basis points to 1.25 per cent last week.

“We’re having an ongoing dialogue with governments around the world around co-ordinated and effective and targeted fiscal stimulus, whether that’s payroll tax cuts or whatever mechanism has to be used to inject cash flow into the economy.”

Watch: Trudeau says the government is looking at new economic measures to support Canadians affected by COVID-19

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government will soon announce new measures to economically support Canadians affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. He spoke briefly to reporters heading into question period. 0:31

Hajdu said Ottawa has been crafting a package of supports for Canadians whose daily lives are disrupted by COVID-19.

“We will have Canadians’ backs. We will make sure Canadians are supported from a health and safety perspective and we have the measures in place to protect them, and protect them in an economic downturn situation,” Hajdu told reporters.

“We’ll come back and talk to you about the packages that we’re proposing shortly.”

She said Canadians should continue to avoid all non-essential travel to places like China, Japan, South Korea, Iran and Italy.

Air Canada announced Tuesday it would be halting all flights to Italy until May 1. Hajdu said the flight cancellations were a “business decision” based on a notable decrease in the number of Canadians travelling to that country because of Global Affairs Canada advisories.

The travel industry has seen a wave of cancellations as companies suspend non-essential business travel and conventions as a precaution.

In a notice sent to guests Tuesday, WestJet said it has introduced additional measures to “increase the sanitization” of its aircraft. The airline is now using “hospital-grade Clorox wipes and spray” as part of the cleaning process.

‘We want to ensure that workers are supported’

Labour Minister Filomena Tassi said today the federal government doesn’t want workers to be forced to go to work when they’re not feeling well.

“We want to ensure that workers are supported,” she said. “We do not want workers having to feel that they have to go to work if they feel they shouldn’t be going to work. We also don’t want workers going to work because they feel that they need to work in order to pay for the groceries and put food on the table.”

When asked what measures the government is considering, Tassi said, “We are monitoring this situation very closely.”

“I, as minister of labour, have not been overwhelmed with people that are saying, ‘We don’t want to go to work and we feel compelled to go to work.’ My office and my door is always open to get that input and we will respond.”

She said workers in federally regulated workplaces, like banks, broadcasting and telecommunications, can flag what they believe to be unsafe workplaces to federal authorities for an assessment.

Public health officials have told people who aren’t feeling well to stay home from their workplaces as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase across the country. But many workers, particularly hourly wage-earners, don’t have access to paid sick leave.

In Budget 2017, the government reduced the waiting time for Employment Insurance (EI) claims from two weeks to one, which allows workers to tap benefits earlier. Some employees, like those working in the “gig” economy, do not have access to these federal benefits.

Watch: ‘Handful’ of Canadian Grand Princess crew members tested positive for coronavirus: Champagne

Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne says a “handful” of Canadian crew members aboard the Grand Princess cruise shop tested positive for #Covid-19. Meanwhile, 228 other Canadians were repatriated to CFB Trenton, ON. Tuesday. 0:58

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Langford, Heim lead Rangers to wild 13-8 win over Blue Jays

Published

2 hours ago

September 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Rookie Wyatt Langford homered, doubled twice and became the first Texas player this season to reach base five times, struggling Jonah Heim delivered a two-run single to break a sixth-inning tie and the Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 13-8 on Tuesday night.

Leody Taveras also had a homer among his three hits for the Rangers.

Langford, who also walked twice, has 12 homers and 25 doubles this season. He is hitting .345 in September.

“I think it’s really important to finish on a strong note,” Langford said. “I’m just going to keep trying to do that.”

Heim was 1-for-34 in September before he lined a single to right field off Tommy Nance (0-2) to score Adolis García and Nathaniel Lowe, giving Texas a 9-7 lead. Heim went to the plate hitting .212 with 53 RBIs after being voted an All-Star starter last season with a career-best 95 RBIs. He added a double in the eighth ahead of Taveras’ homer during a three-run inning.

Texas had 13 hits and left 13 men on. It was the Rangers’ highest-scoring game since a 15-8 win at Oakland on May 7.

Matt Festa (5-1) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win, giving him a 5-0 record in 13 appearances with the Rangers after being granted free agency by the New York Mets on July 7.

Nathan Eovaldi, a star of Texas’ 2023 run to the franchise’s first World Series championship, had his worst start of the year in what could have been his final home start with the Rangers. Eovaldi, who will be a free agent next season, allowed 11 hits (the most of his two seasons with Texas) and seven runs (tied for the most).

“I felt like early in the game they just had a few hits that found the holes, a few first-pitch base hits,” said Eovaldi, who is vested for a $20 million player option with Texas for 2025. “I think at the end of the day I just need to do a better job of executing my pitches.”

Eovaldi took a 7-3 lead into the fifth inning after the Rangers scored five unearned runs in the fourth. The Jays then scored four runs to knock out Eovaldi after 4 2/3 innings.

Six of the seven runs scored against Toronto starter Chris Bassitt in 3 2/3 innings were unearned. Bassitt had a throwing error during Texas’ two-run third inning.

“We didn’t help ourselves defensively, taking care of the ball to secure some outs,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said.

The Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a double and two singles, his most hits in a game since having four on Sept. 3. Guerrero is hitting .384 since the All-Star break.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: SS Bo Bichette (calf) was activated and played for the first time since July 19, going 2 for 5 with an RBI. … OF Daulton Varsho (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day injured list and will have rotator cuff surgery … INF Will Wagner (knee inflammation) was placed on the 60-day list.

UP NEXT

Rangers: LHP Chad Bradford (5-3, 3.97 ERA) will pitch Wednesday night’s game on extended five days’ rest after allowing career highs in hits (nine), runs (eight) and home runs (three) in 3 2/3 innings losing at Arizona on Sept. 14.

Blue Jays: RHP Bowden Francis (8-4, 3.50) has had two no-hitters get away in the ninth inning this season, including in his previous start against the New York Mets on Sept. 11. Francis is the first major-leaguer to have that happen since Rangers Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan in 1989.

—

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Billie Jean King set to earn another honor with the Congressional Gold Medal

Published

3 hours ago

September 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

WASHINGTON (AP) — Billie Jean King will become the first individual female athlete to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey announced Tuesday that their bipartisan legislation had passed the House of Representatives and would be sent to President Joe Biden for his signature.

The bill to honor King, the tennis Hall of Famer and activist, had already passed unanimously in the Senate.

Sherrill, a Democrat, said in a statement that King’s “lifetime of advocacy and hard work changed the landscape for women and girls on the court, in the classroom, and the workplace.”

The bill was introduced last September on the 50th anniversary of King’s victory over Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes,” still the most-watched tennis match of all-time. The medal, awarded by Congress for distinguished achievements and contributions to society, has previously been given to athletes including baseball players Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente, and golfers Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and Arnold Palmer.

King had already been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. Fitzpatrick, a Republican, says she has “broken barriers, led uncharted paths, and inspired countless people to stand proudly with courage and conviction in the fight for what is right.”

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Account tweaks for young Instagram users ‘minimum’ expected by B.C., David Eby says

Published

3 hours ago

September 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

SURREY, B.C. – Premier David Eby says new account control measures for young Instagram users introduced Tuesday by social media giant Meta are the “minimum” expected of tech companies to keep kids safe online.

The parent company of Instagram says users in Canada and elsewhere under 18 will have their accounts set to private by default starting Tuesday, restricting who can send messages, among other parental controls and settings.

Speaking at an unrelated event Tuesday, Eby says the province began talks with social media companies after threatening legislation that would put big tech companies on the hook for “significant potential damages” if they were found negligent in failing to keep kids safe from online predators.

Eby says the case of Carson Cleland, a 12-year-old from Prince George, B.C., who took his own life last year after being targeted by a predator on Snapchat, was “horrific and totally preventable.”

He says social media apps are “nothing special,” and should be held to the same child safety standards as anyone who operates a place that invites young people, whether it’s an amusement park, a playground or an online platform.

In a progress report released Tuesday about the province’s engagement with big tech companies including Google, Meta, TikTok, Spapchat and X, formerly known as Twitter, the provincial government says the companies are implementing changes, including a “trusted flagger” option to quickly remove intimate images.

— With files from The Associated Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024

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