The Province Opening and Other News from the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce
Before we get into the news from the Manitoba Chamber, the MacGregor Chamber wants to unveil two new initiatives that we are looking to implement to coincide with phase one of the province opening:
The first is that once a week we will be looking to publish a short story on one of our local member businesses. Keep an eye out for those, as well as feel free to share them about as widely as possible.
The second is that beginning today we will be looking to start a social media campaign in the same vein as the Ice-bucket challenge for MacGregor local businesses. Make sure to keep an eye out on Facebook for both of those things.
The Provincial Opening
Premier Pallister announced on April 29 that the Province of Manitoba will be easing some restrictions to restore some services beginning May 4. Click here to view the government's roadmap for recovery guide.
Public gatherings continue to be restricted to 10 persons (social gatherings, worship, weddings, funerals). If virus activity remains low, there will be consideration given in mid-May to easing restrictions on group size.
Manitobans should remain within or close to their home communities. This includes limiting travel, even within Manitoba, to essential trips only. Visits to cottages are not recommended at this time.
As more information becomes available and data on the current situation in Manitoba is analyzed, some measures may need to be reintroduced or new restrictions implemented to reduce any further spread of the virus. If results during or at the end of Phase one are not positive, the province will not proceed with further easing of public health measures and may reintroduce others scheduled for Phase 2, slated for June.
Among businesses, significant work to limit the spread of COVID-19 must continue, and the requirements will be enforceable under public health orders.
“We are very pleased to support this dialing up of economic recovery in Manitoba, but it's extremely important for business owners and leaders to protect staff, champion safety, and reduce risks by following the public health orders and guidelines," says Chuck Davidson, President & CEO, Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. "We do not want another spike in cases, and the business community needs to focus on building consumer confidence right now. Business owners need to be sure they are ready to open and demonstrate their commitment to the process and recommendations. If you're not ready to open, we say, don't."
Chief Provincial Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin laid out guidelines to maintain physical distancing and support proper sanitization procedures for all industries/sectors allowed to re-open in Phase 1. All businesses will be required to limit occupancy to 50 percent of normal business levels or one person per 10 square metres, whichever is lower. Here are the highlights:
Government offices are deemed safe and Phase 1 may include returning employees to the office if public health orders can be upheld, including social distancing and cleaning requirements.
Restart of non-urgent surgery and elective surgical procedures: All necessary precautions will be taken to protect staff and patients including point of care screening, the use of appropriate protective personal equipment and limiting the number of staff in the room.
At the further direction of their respective regulatory bodies, regulated health professionals, such as dentists, dental hygienists, chiropractors, physiotherapists, optometrists and podiatrists, will no longer be limited to providing urgent and emergent care. Individuals who provide therapeutic massage and acupuncture services may resume providing those services.
Retail businesses may reopen if occupancy levels are maintained in order to allow staff and customers to maintain a physical distance of at least two metres, except for brief exchanges.
Public food establishments (restaurants, cafeterias, cafes and similar businesses) will remain closed, except for delivery, take-out, and patio or walk-up food service.
Hairstylists/barbers may reopen if businesses maintain an occupancy level to allow staff and customers to maintain a physical distance of at least two metres, except when receiving services or brief exchanges.
Museums, galleries and libraries may reopen if the organization can maintain an occupancy level to allow staff and customers to maintain a physical distance of at least two metres, except for brief exchanges.
Outdoor recreation: Playgrounds, skate parks, golf courses, tennis courts, driving ranges and other similar recreation facilities may reopen if people maintain a distance of at least two metres, except for brief exchanges.
Parks, campgrounds, yurts, and vacation cabins may open if people maintain a distance of at least two metres, except for brief exchanges.
Day camps may operate if they maintain occupancy and activity levels that allow people to maintain a physical distance of at least two metres, except for brief exchanges. The maximum number of children per site is 16. Overnight camps are not permitted.
In order to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on businesses, employers and employees, communities and our economy, Statistics Canada and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce collaborated to launch the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions. From April 3 to 24, 2020, representatives from more than 12,600 businesses visited Statistics Canada's website and took part in the online questionnaire. Here are just some of the highlights:
More than half (51.1%) couldn’t operate longer than 90 days without a source of revenue53.5% experienced a decrease in revenue of over 20% and 26% of all respondents saw a 50% drop in revenue in Q1 2020 over Q1 201980.9% have experienced a medium to high drop in demand for services or products40.5% have laid off staff over two-fifths (45.4%) of businesses reported having added new ways to interact with or sell to customers, while nearly two-fifths (38.1%) of businesses reported having increased the use of virtual connections internally. More than one-quarter (28.6%) of businesses requested credit from financial institutions to cover operating costs due to revenue shortfalls caused by COVID-19. Financial institutions either fully or partially approved over three-quarters (77.3%) of these requests.In terms of businesses that pay rent, one-fifth (20.0%) had their rent deferred. To access details from the survey's incredible volume of results, click here.
Government Updates
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
1) The Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small businesses is an agreement in principle with all provinces and territories to lower rent by 75 percent for small businesses that have been affected by COVID-19. The program funds will flow through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. and provide forgivable loans to qualifying commercial property owners to cover 50 percent of three monthly rent payments that are payable by eligible small business tenants who are experiencing financial hardship during April, May, and June. To be notified by CMHC when the CECRA application process opens, register here.
2) Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB): Eligibility criteria have been expanded. To access a detailed FAQ about CERB, click here.
3) Students and recent graduates who have seen their education and job prospects hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic will soon be able to claim the Canada Emergency Student Benefit.
4) The Government of Canada is providing nearly $1B in support to affected businesses and communities through the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund. Details are yet to come, but prairie provinces work with Western Economic Diversification Canada.
5) Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA): This program offers interest-free loans up to $40,000 to small businesses and not-for-profits to help cover their operating costs. To qualify, organizations need to demonstrate they paid between $20,000 and $1.5 million in total payroll in 2019 (through CRA filings). For details: https://ceba-cuec.ca/
PROVINCE OF MANITOBA
As of Thursday, April 30, public health officials advised the number of lab-confirmed positive and probable cases in Manitoba is at 275, and there have been six COVID-19 related deaths.
1) NEW! Public Health orders restricting staff from working in more than one licensed personal care home (PCH) have been signed and will take effect May 1. The single-site restriction is intended to provide additional protection against the introduction and/or spread of the COVID-19 virus within PCHs.
2) NEW! If you need guidance understanding the financial support that may be available to you (both provincial and federal), the Province encourages you to contact the Manitoba Economic Support Centre at 1-888-805-7554 to speak with a service representative.
3) The Manitoba Gap Protection Program (MGPP) is available to any of the approximately 120,000 businesses in Manitoba who have fallen into a gap in failing to qualify for the various federal government assistance programs and wage subsidies. The province will advance each eligible business the non-interest bearing forgivable MGPP loan of $6,000 -- a loan that will be forgiven on Dec. 31, 2020 -- if the recipient attests at that time the business has not received any major non-repayable COVID-19 federal supports such as CEWS and CEBA or sector-specific grant federal programs developed in response to the pandemic. Application details are yet to come.
4) Manitoba public health officials have expanded testing criteria to include those who meet the criteria and are showing even mild symptoms of COVID-19 (a cough, a runny nose, a sore throat and a fever). If you're showing symptoms of COVID-19 and meet testing criteria, call Health Links-Info Santé at 204-788-8200 or (toll-free) at 1-888-315-9257 for more information.
For information about the Manitoba Protection Plan, as well as links to federal funding programs, partner sites, pandemic planning, and more, click here.