COVID-19 Government and International Response: July 24, 2020

WHAT TO KNOW

Global COVID-19 cases have reached 15,802,633, up from 14,890,516 at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. Canada now reports 112,867 cases, up from 111,697 cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. Ontario reports 38,405 cases, up from 38,107 cases on Wednesday.

The growth rate of new cases in the province is still under 1%, with 195 (0.5%) new cases reported since yesterday. Of the province’s total cases, 34,100 have been resolved (88.8%) and there have been 2,758 deaths (7.2%). The province has now completed 1,988,909 tests and reports 25,550 tests are currently under investigation. More information here.

A province-by-province breakdown of Canada’s COVID-19 case count can be found here.

FEDERAL

Today, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced the names of the youth who will form the new Canadian Agricultural Youth Council. The 25 young people were chosen from more than 800 applications received, representing a diverse mix of subsectors from across the agriculture and agri-food sector, as well as from every province and the North. Council members will provide their insights on a variety of topics, which could include: how the sector is adapting to COVID-19, business risk management programs, sustainable agriculture, market diversification, skills and labour, intergenerational farm transfers, and mental health. More information here.

On July 23, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, announced that up to $2 billion in federal funding will be made available to cities and towns across Canada. The funding will support front line workers and critical municipal services as we keep people safe during the economic restart. Provincial and territorial governments will continue to support municipalities, and will cost-match federal supports with investments made this fiscal year. And to help cities keep their transit systems running so that Canadians can get to work and home to their families safely, the Government of Canada will be providing $1 billion in federal transit funding. More information here.

PROVINCIAL

The Ontario government is providing the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) with $110,000 from the Ontario Together Fund to deliver online tools and resources that will support Indigenous businesses as the province implements its made-in-Ontario plan for renewal, growth, and economic recovery. More information here.

TORONTO

The City of Toronto continues to monitor the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the municipal budget. Next week, City staff will present a report to City Council to address the experienced and anticipated financial impacts of the pandemic and propose options for mitigation. More information here.

INTERNATIONAL