Headline Politics
PM Trudeau Announces $1-Billion COVID-19 Response Fund
At a news conference in Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirms a $1-billion federal fund to help provinces and territories cope with the coronavirus (COVID-19). The government's initial package of support for workers affected by the COVID-19 outbreak includes Employment Insurance (EI) adjustments, more money for vaccine development and clinical trials, and bulk buying of medical supplies to be shared with the provinces and territories. As of March 10, there are nearly 100 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada. Trudeau's news conference follows the tumultuous start to the week for the economy, as financial markets plunged in response to COVID-19 fears and a sharp drop in global oil prices. His announcement precedes the First Ministers' meeting taking place in Ottawa later this week. (March 11, 2020)