Dear friends,

I know that many of you are worried about our current circumstances in Manitoba, as we fight against a second wave of COVID-19. Whether you have concerns regarding your parents or grandparents in long-term care homes or your children at school, I know that the situation we find ourselves in seems daunting.

Canada will emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, but it will require all of us working together to do so. Limiting your social contact to your household, wearing a mask, washing your hands frequently and only leaving the home for essential trips are all things we can do to stop the virus. When we follow these rules, we don’t just protect ourselves, we protect the vulnerable, our children and our loved ones. We protect a neighbour or friend who may be immunocompromised. We protect our essential workers – teachers, bus drivers and grocery clerks. We protect our health care workers – those who keep our hospitals going and take care of us when we are sick. Every time that you choose to wear a mask and stay home, you help us move one step closer to a strong recovery from this pandemic.

Our federal government is doing everything we can to support the province of Manitoba. Last week, we received and approved a request from the province for federal support in long-term care facilities. We have funded the deployment of a Canadian Red Cross team to provide support to five long-term care facilities in Manitoba until January 15, 2021. They are currently on the ground working with local and provincial authorities and assessing their specific needs.

Our Minister of Health Patty Hajdu and public health officials are in regular contact with their provincial counterparts. To date, we have provided the province with significant resources, including federal contact tracers, rapid testing kits, over 140,000 N95 masks for frontline workers and supplies for increased testing and health care capacity. We continue to be in touch with local health officials and are there to provide any support requested.

Now is the time to work collectively to limit the spread of this virus. As we face the most serious crisis of our lifetime, I am reminded of the resilience and determination of the generations before us who endured wars, conflicts and difficulties of every kind. As Canadians, we have always come together, united against the challenges that are before us.

Overcoming these tough times brought on by COVID 19 will take each and every one of us doing our part. By working together, we can protect one another and save lives.   

Sincerely,

Terry Duguid
Member of Parliament
Winnipeg South

LATEST UPDATES

CANADA EMERGENCY RENT SUBSIDY NOW OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS

• The new Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy covers up to 65% of rent and mortgage expenses, for businesses, charities and non-profits that have been impacted by COVID-19.
• An additional 25% subsidy is available for those who are shut down due to a mandatory public health order. The subsidy is retroactive to September 27, 2020.
• Applicants can apply via their CRA account. For further information visit the following link. 

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA SIGNS AGREEMENT FOR MORE COVID-19 RAPID TESTS

• The Government of Canada has signed an agreement to purchase 7.6 million rapid, point of care COVID-19 tests. The Public Health Agency of Canada will deploy these tests to provinces and territories, to help with increasing COVID-19 testing capacity.
• Further information on the purchase of these new tests can be found, here. 

$47 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN MANITOBA

• The federal government is providing support for more skills training, on the job training and job opportunities for workers in Manitoba. We are confident this investment will help Canadians in sectors that have been hardest hit by the pandemic.  
• For further details on this announcement, click here. 

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS 23 BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS MANITOBA FOR BETTER ACCESS TO BUSINESS SERVICES

•  Last month, I was pleased to join the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, Economic Development Winnipeg and CentrePort Canada to announce additional support of $2.5 million to Manitoba’s non-profit business support network.
• Through this funding, small businesses will have greater information and support in accessing our numerous support programs.
• Full details on this announcement are available, here.  

FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA        

• Our government is supporting researchers right here at home with $950,000 in funding for a research team at the University of Manitoba. This funding will cover the costs of specialized equipment and technology to study COVID-19.
• Full details are available, here. 

OVER 5 MILLION CANADIANS DOWNLOAD THE COVID-19 ALERT APP

• To date, over five million Canadians have downloaded the COVID-19 Alert app. This app is critical for contact tracing and notifies you if you have been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
• To download the app, visit the following link. 

IT’S TIME TO GET YOUR FLU SHOT!

• If you haven’t already, it is especially important this year that you get your flu shot. We all need to reduce the chance of contracting influenza during the pandemic, so that we can save lives and reduce the burden on our hospitals and health care workers.
• To find out where to get vaccinated, check with your local pharmacy, or visit canada.ca/flu for locations near you. 

LOCAL RESOURCES

• Manitoba Health Links: 204-788-8200 or toll free at 1-888-315-9257
• Latest Updates on Provincial State of Emergency: http://manitoba.ca/covid19
• Western Economic Diversification Regional Office in Manitoba: 204-983-4472 or toll free at 1-888-338-9378, and via email at [email protected]
• For mental health support, visit: https://ca.portal.gs/

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MORE INFORMATION

For all the latest news, please visit: canada.ca/coronavirus

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unsubscribe