Below are the key government announcements made on May 9 and 10, 2020 that touch on workplace issues. We also summarize "in case you missed it" ("ICYMI") stories from the previous week. Our daily and weekend overviews of previous government announcements, employment analyses and other COVID-19 information are available here.
The Federal Government
No major government updates as of 5:00 p.m. E.D.T. on May 10, 2020.
ICYMI: On May 8, 2020, Prime Minister Trudeau announced that the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy will be extended beyond June 2020.
Alberta
No major government updates as of 5:00 p.m. E.D.T. on May 10, 2020.
ICYMI: On May 4, 2020, the Chief Medical Officer of Health issued CMOH Order 16-2020 to allow for the resumption of non-essential health services in Alberta.
British Columbia
No major government updates as of 5:00 p.m. E.D.T. on May 10, 2020.
ICYMI: On May 4, 2020, the government amended BC's Employment Standards Act Regulation to allow for 16 weeks of temporary layoff during a 20 week period before employment is deemed to be terminated under the Act.
Manitoba
No major government updates as of 5:00 p.m. E.D.T. on May 10, 2020.
ICYMI: On May 7, 2020, the government announced an additional $500-million investment to its planned $3-billion investments in infrastructure over the next 2 years.
New Brunswick
No major government updates as of 5:00 p.m. E.D.T. on May 3, 2020.
ICYMI: On May 6, 2020, the government encouraged employers to participate in a free virtual career fair being hosted by WorkingNB on May 12-13, 2020.
Newfoundland and Labrador
The government announced that the province will enter Alert Level 4 effective Monday, May 11, 2020.
Under Alert Level 4, a number of public health measures will be relaxed to allow more social and business activities. A list of the business, health care and recreational activities that are permitted under Alert Level 4 can be found here.
ICYMI: On May 6, 2020, the Chief Medical Officer of Health issued a Special Measures Order (Travel Exemption Order) exempting certain individuals from the province's entry restrictions.
Nova Scotia
The government announced that its reopening plan is under development. Reopening will be done in phases, with each phase expected to last a minimum of 28 days.
ICYMI: On May 8, 2020, the government confirmed that schools will not reopen for the remaining school year.
Ontario
The government announced a new emergency regulation which, subject to conditions, will allow school boards to redeploy employees to congregate care settings during the pandemic. According to a government press release, these care settings include hospitals, long-term care homes, retirement homes, and women's shelters, many of which are in need of custodial and maintenance workers.
The government also announced a plan to ensure the availability of licensed child care while the province enacts its reopening plans.
ICYMI: On May 4, 2020, the government issued a new temporary emergency order. The order retroactively exempts certain public sector compensation increases related to COVID-19 from counting towards the maximum compensation increases permissible under the Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, 2000.
Prince Edward Island
No major government updates as of 5:00 p.m. E.D.T. on May 10, 2020.
ICYMI: On May 7, 2020, the government announced multiple financial relief initiatives.
Quebec
No major government updates as of 5:00 p.m. E.D.T. on May 10, 2020.
ICYMI: On May 6, 2020, the CNESST launched COVID-19 health and safety toolkits for the education sector, as well as daycare services and home childcare providers.
Saskatchewan
No major government updates as of 5:00 p.m. E.D.T. on May 10, 2020.
ICYMI: On May 5, 2020, the Saskatchewan Health Authority announced a phased resumption of provincial health care services starting May 19, 2020.
Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and the Yukon
In the Yukon, the government launched a non-medical COVID-19 information line.
In the Northwest Territories, the government announced that it will allocate $8.7-million in funding to support Northwest Territories' passenger-based airlines providing service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There were no major government updates in Nunavut as of 5:00 p.m. E.D.T. on May 10, 2020.
ICYMI: On May 4, 2020, in Nunavut, the government lifted measures and restrictions specific to the municipality of Pond Inlet. On May 4, 2020, in the Yukon, the government announced it was waiving commercial aviation fees for certain businesses. On May 6, 2020, in the Northwest Territories, the government announced $86,000 in funding for loan payment deferrals for clients of the Northwest Territories Community Futures Development Corporations.
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