The Government of Ontario is offering a $10,000 grant to small businesses forced to close due to renewed lockdown measures aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19.
Eligible businesses include gyms, museums, tour services and before- and after-school programs.
The provincial government says that eligible businesses that qualified for the Ontario Small Business Support Grant and that have been forced to close again this year will be pre-screened for the new grant and need not apply.
The government also says that qualifying small businesses can expect to receive their payment in February. The province is also introducing a hydro relief program for businesses and residential customers, providing the off-peak rate 24 hours a day for 21 days, starting on January 18.
It comes as COVID-19 continues to spread at unprecedented rates. Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, is reporting 2,472 patients in hospital with COVID-19, including 338 people in intensive care.
That's up from 2,279 patients hospitalized and 319 in ICUs one day ago and surpasses the previous peak of 2,360 people in hospital.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says 232 ICU patients are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status, and 106 are fully vaccinated. Forty-two new deaths were reported in Ontario over the past 10 days.
Provincial data shows that 81.7% of Ontarians aged five and older have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 87.5% have at least one dose.
