COVID-19 & Legislation Updates | Weekly Workplace Recap from July 9 to July 15, 2021

Federal

Calls on Employers: Apply Now to $700 Million Jobs and Growth Fund

The federal government is calling on employers to apply for funding under the Jobs and Growth Fund. The new fund is providing $700 million to support a regional response and stimulate economic recovery following the COVID-19 crisis by investing in projects that will help to create jobs over the next three years and beyond.

The Job and Growth Fund will help job creators and the organizations that support them future-proof their businesses, build resiliency and prepare for growth by:

• supporting the transition to a green economy
• fostering an inclusive recovery
• enhancing Canada's competitiveness through digital adoption to improve productivity and manufacturing processes
• strengthening capacity in sectors critical to Canada's recovery and growth

The government is accepting applications on a continuous intake basis until March 31, 2024, or until funding is fully committed.

The federal government has launched $500 million in funding for the new Tourism Relief Fund to help tourism businesses and organizations recover and grow.

Eligible organizations can now submit applications to support the tourism sector prepare to welcome back domestic travelers and reposition Canada as a world-class destination. Canada’s regional development agencies will deliver $485 million directly to businesses and organizations to help them adapt their operations to meet public health requirements while investing in products and services to facilitate future growth.

For more information, check out this news release. 

Ontario

Moves to Step 3 of Roadmap to Reopen on July 16

Tomorrow, Friday, July 16, Ontario moves to Step Three of Roadmap to Reopen, which focuses on the resumption of additional indoor services with larger numbers of people and restrictions in place. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 100 people with limited exceptions

• Indoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 25 people

• Indoor dining permitted with no limits on the number of patrons per table with physical distancing and other restrictions still in effect.

• Indoor meeting and event spaces permitted to operate with physical distancing and other restrictions still in effect. Capacity limit to not exceed 50% capacity or 1,000 people, (whichever is less).

• Essential and non-essential retail with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres.

• Personal care services, including services requiring the removal of a face covering, with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres.

• Museums, galleries, historic sites, aquariums, zoos, landmarks, botanical gardens, science centres, casinos/bingo halls, amusement parks, fairs and rural exhibitions and festivals, with capacity limited to not exceed 50% capacity indoors and 75 per cent capacity outdoors.

For more information, check out this news release.