Zoe Aikman
During the daily press briefing on Wednesday, Deputy Premier Geneviève Guilbeault presented further details of the Quebec government’s plan to reopen the province from restrictions put in place due to COVID-19. Starting this Friday, May 22, it will be possible to hold gatherings outdoors of up to 10 people at a time. These ten people must be from a maximum of three households and must maintain social distancing rules by remaining 2 metres apart. As summer rolls around, the aim of this change in social restrictions is to allow families to be able to spend some time together after nearly two months of separation.
Population will finally get their post-quarantine haircuts
Beginning June 1, hair salons, dental offices and other personal and aesthetic care services across Quebec will begin to welcome back clients. This announcement does not apply to the Greater Montreal area or Joliette, as these areas remain hot zones for the virus despite dropping numbers.
In the Montérégie region, there are now 5,523 confirmed cases, including 189 people currently hospitalized. Out of the total number of cases, 2,447 have recovered and 294 have died. According to the Direction de la santé publique de la Montérégie, health care workers represent one out of every four cases in the region.
More assistance from the federal government
As of May 20, large businesses can apply for loans from the Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility, or LEEFF program. This program provides short-term bridge financing for large corporations and firms.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a new assistance program aimed at landlords and small businesses struggling to pay rent during this economic shutdown. The Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program, or the CECRA, will provide forgivable loans to landlords so they can reduce the rent by 75% for small business tenants who have lost the majority of their revenue. By covering 50% of the rent, the federal government ask landlords to absorb only 25% and leave the rest to be paid by the tenants with the support of other assistance programs like the CEBA. “Theses are challenging times,” said Trudeau, “But together, we can protect jobs and make sure that our economy bounces back.” The application portal for the CECRA opens May 25th.