Daily COVID-19 Update - May 12, 2020
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The following are the latest COVID-19 updates available for May 12.
Extended State of Emergency
The Ontario government is extending the Declaration of Emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act until June 2.
The declaration will allow Ontario to continue to enforce current emergency orders, such as restricting retirement and long-term care home employees from working in more than one facility and prohibiting events and gatherings of more than five people.
Additional Support for Seniors
Seniors who qualify for Old Age Security (OAS) will be eligible for a one-time, tax-free payment of $300, and those eligible for the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) will get an extra $200. Those eligible for both will receive $500.
The government is also temporarily extending the GIS payments to seniors to October 1, 2020 if their 2019 income information has not yet been assessed, allowing those people to continue to receive their benefits.
The government is also investing another $20 million in the New Horizons for Seniors Program, which funds various community projects for seniors. This money is meant to help to mitigate the impacts of isolation, such as virtual exercise programs and providing tablets.
You can read more about the support available for seniors on the Government of Canada COVID-19 website