The Manitoba government is launching a new program aiming to get more Manitobans back to work this summer as the province continues to open up amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
Manitoba premier Brian Pallister said Thursday the program, called Manitoba Back to Work This Summer, will allow employers to apply to receive funding for up to five employees hired or rehired after June 18.
The program will pay for 50 per cent of the total wages paid between June 18 until Aug. 30 up to a maximum of $5,000 per worker, and $25,000 per business.
“The reopening of our economy depends on businesses getting back up and running, and we encourage private-sector employers to bring back laid-off employees or take on new hires,” said Pallister in a release.
“The Manitoba Back to Work This Summer initiative provides financial flexibility to help businesses through this difficult time and address short-term challenges, while they build toward full capacity and long-term success.”
The government said it has a total of $120 million available for the program and the previously announced Manitoba Summer Student Jobs Recovery Program, which aims to encourage the hiring of students this summer.
Pallister said there will be no age limit for those hired or rehired through the funding announced Thursday.
The province says the student summer jobs program has so far seen more than 1,400 applications from employers for more than 3,200 positions, totaling more than $16 million in supports.
On Wednesday the province announced the third phase of reopening Manitoba’s economy during the pandemic will start Sunday.
The further easing of restrictions will include allowing public gatherings of 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors so long as people can stay two metres apart.
Read the plan here:
Interprovincial travel between Manitoba and western provinces, up to west of Terrace Bay in Ontario — about 220 kilometres east of Thunder Bay — no longer requires a two-week self-isolation period.
Child-care facilities can open to full capacity and retail occupancy limits will be removed.
Bars and restaurants can open to full capacity, a change from the draft plan, which previously said they could open to 75 per cent capacity.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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