CERB Extended
On June 16, 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an extension of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) to further support Canadians. The CERB will now be available for up to a total of 24 weeks. The recent announcement extends the CERB for an additional 8 week period.
Beginning July 5, 2020, CERB recipients will need to sign an attestation acknowledging that the government wants them to return to work and encouraging them to consult the government’s job bank. The Federal Government’s official release on the CERB extension can be read here.
Canada-US Border Closure Extended
The Prime Minister also announced that the Canada-US border will remain closed to any non-essential cross-border travel until July 21, 2020. Previously set to expire June 21, 2020, the deal with the United States has been extended for another 30 days.
Recently, the Federal government announced that as of June 8, 2020, it will allow some immediate family members separated by these travel restrictions to cross the border into Canada. This limited exception applies to foreign nationals who are immediate family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents, who do not have COVID-19 or exhibit any symptoms of COVID-19, and who do not have reason to believe they have COVID-19. Foreign nationals admitted into Canada under this exemption are required to quarantine for 14 days. More information can be found in the Canada Border Services Agency’s news release.
If you have any questions about this article, please contact Sari Wiens, Ilan Burkes, Nicole Toye or Jessica Fairbairn.
Note to our Readers: Information regarding COVID-19 is rapidly evolving. We are working to bring you up-to-date articles as the legal issues develop and to keep our previous posts updated. Given that the legal issues related to COVID-19 are constantly changing, if you are looking for legal advice or are dealing with an issue in relation to COVID-19, please contact your Harris lawyer or a member of our COVID-19 response team: Sari Wiens, Ilan Burkes, Nicole Toye or Jessica Fairbairn.
To read our most recent articles and other updates on COVID-19, visit our COVID-19 Updates page.
