LATEST UPDATE: COVID-19 Government and International Response: August 26, 2020

WHAT TO KNOW

Global COVID-19 cases have reached 24,219,348, up from 23,722,981 at 3:30 p.m. on Monday.  Canada now reports 126,057 cases, up from 125,001 cases of COVID-19 on Monday. Ontario reports 41,179 cases, up from 41,695 cases on Monday.

The growth rate of new cases in the province is still under 1%, with 88 (0.2%) new cases reported since yesterday. Of the province’s total cases, 37,863 have been resolved (90.8%) and there have been 2,802 deaths (6.7%). The province has now completed 2,823,721 tests and reports 20,716 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

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and Minister responsible for FedDev Ontario, along with Francesco Sorbara, Member of Parliament for Vaughan–Woodbridge, announced an investment of $7.8 million from FedDev Ontario to help three local manufacturers grow and create jobs. This helps to create 116 skilled jobs and maintain 30 more. It will also leverage more than $28 million in additional investments in York Region, and increase regional supply chain spending. More information here.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced up to $2 billion in support for provinces and territories through the Safe Return to Class Fund. This will provide the complementary funding they need, as they work alongside local school boards to ensure the safety of students and staff members throughout the school year. For example, the Fund will help provinces and territories by supporting adapted learning spaces, improved air ventilation, increased hand sanitation and hygiene, and purchases of personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies. More information here.

PROVINCIAL

The Ontario government’s back-to-school plan, developed in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and public health officials, is being further enhanced by additional federal investments and resources to support the return to class in the fall. Today’s federal announcement provides $381 million to Ontario, on top of the nearly $900 million provided by the province to support provincial back-to-school plans.  More information here.

Today, John Yakabuski, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, and Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, issued the following statement in response to the World Trade Organization (WTO) panel’s decision “Ontario welcomes the decision made by the WTO panel that the countervailing duties the U.S. placed on Canadian lumber exports violate the U.S.’s WTO trade obligations.

This is an important step in ensuring the ongoing success of our forestry industries, which play an important part in our economy. As we move towards economic recovery, it has never been more important to vigorously defend and encourage this sector. More information here.

INTERNATIONAL