Trudeau unveils $19B ‘safe restart’ agreement, extension of U.S. border measures

Law360 Canada (July 16, 2020, 5:00 PM EDT) -- The federal government will provide more than $19 billion to the provinces and territories as part of a “safe restart” agreement to help the Canadian economy emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has revealed.

Trudeau announced the agreement July 16, with funding directed at increased COVID-19 testing and contract tracing, personal protective equipment (PPE), support for child care and seniors and a national sick leave plan. He said fighting the pandemic has always been a “Team Canada effort” and it continues to be as the nation moves into a recovery phase.
 
“But COVID-19 isn’t just a health crisis, it’s an economic crisis too,” he said. “So, when we talk about the recovery phase, it’s not just about making sure we can detect, control and prevent future outbreaks, it’s also about helping people, businesses and entire communities adjust to our new normal, because until we find a vaccine the deadly threat of COVID-19 will not disappear.”

Money is also earmarked for municipalities and transit. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said the government knows if cities and transit systems are not equipped for a safe restart, Canada won’t be either.

“If we want people to participate in the economy, they need to be able to get to work safely,” she said. “No one should have to turn down a job because they don’t want to risk their health during a crowded commute.”

Trudeau also revealed Canada and the United States have agreed to keep the border closed to non-essential travel for another month, until Aug. 21.

“We are going to keep working closely with our American neighbours to keep people safe on both sides of the border,” he said.

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