昨日3月18日（水）にジャスティントルドー首相から新型コロナウイルス対策として最大820億ドル（約6兆1000億円）を拠出することが発表されましたが、本日19日（木）に再度会見が開かれました。

今回の会見では、カナダ政府が新型コロナウイルスで苦しんでいる全てのカナダ人を支援するさらなる保証をすることを改めて語り、政府が新型コロナウイルスの影響からくる様々なシナリオに対して準備を行っていることを明言。

また、旅行規制やソーシャル・ディスタンシング（社会的距離を保つこと・他人との接触を避けること）など医療専門家のアドバイスから現在実施されている安全対策措置は今後もしばらく（数週間から数か月程度）続く可能性があると述べました。

さらに、同日にCBCが行った Bill Morneau 財務相に対するインタビューでは、財務相から「今後2〜3週間以内には政府が新型コロナウイルス緊急支援資金の援助を開始できるようにしたい」という言葉を聞くことができました。（援助金は小切手郵送ではなく、ダイレクトデポジットでの送金になるとのことです）

昨日・本日の会見などを通して、今後どのようなサポートが受けられるのか心配している方も多いはず。そこで今回は、政府がウェブサイトで公表している「カナダ国民に対しての支援策」の一部について日本語に訳してみました。

カナダ政府の国民への支援内容の一部を日本語に訳して解説

In response to #COVID19, we are supporting individuals and businesses in need. Have a look at how we will support you: https://t.co/w7tzCJwYhP #EconomicResponse pic.twitter.com/2npgeJPEa8

— FinanceCanada (@FinanceCanada) March 18, 2020

ここからはカナダ政府のウェブサイトにある「Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan」の「Support to Canadians」の内容の一部を日本語に訳してお届けします。

【Support to Canadians】
カナディアンへの支援に関して

Temporary Income Support for Workers and Parents
労働者と子どもを持つ親への臨時所得救済（Temporary Income Support）

For Canadians without paid sick leave (or similar workplace accommodation) who are sick, quarantined or forced to stay home to care for children, the Government is:

Waiving the one-week waiting period for those individuals in imposed quarantine that claim Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits. This temporary measure will be in effect as of March 15, 2020.
Waiving the requirement to provide a medical certificate to access EI sickness benefits.
Introducing the Emergency Care Benefit providing up to $900 bi-weekly, for up to 15 weeks. This flat-payment Benefit would be administered through the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and provide income support to:

・Workers, including the self-employed, who are quarantined or sick with COVID-19 but do not qualify for EI sickness benefits.

・Workers, including the self-employed, who are taking care of a family member who is sick with COVID-19, such as an elderly parent, but do not qualify for EI sickness benefits.

・Parents with children who require care or supervision due to school or daycare closures, and are unable to earn employment income, irrespective of whether they qualify for EI or not.

Application for the Benefit will be available in April 2020, and require Canadians to attest that they meet the eligibility requirements. They will need to re-attest every two weeks to reconfirm their eligibility. Canadians will select one of three channels to apply for the Benefit:

1.by accessing it on their CRA MyAccount secure portal;
2.by accessing it from their secure My Service Canada Account; or
3.by calling a toll free number equipped with an automated application process.

引用：Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan

Longer-Term Income Support for Workers
　労働者への長期所得支援（Longer-Term Income Support）

For Canadians who lose their jobs or face reduced hours as a result of COVID’s impact, the Government is:

・Introducing an Emergency Support Benefit delivered through the CRA to provide up to $5.0 billion in support to workers who are not eligible for EI and who are facing unemployment.

・Implementing the EI Work Sharing Program, which provides EI benefits to workers who agree to reduce their normal working hour as a result of developments beyond the control of their employers, by extending the eligibility of such agreements to 76 weeks, easing eligibility requirements, and streamlining the application process. This was announced by the Prime Minister on March 11, 2020.

引用：Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan

Income Support for Individuals Who Need It Most
支援を最も必要としている個人への所得支援

For over 12 million low- and modest-income families, who may require additional help with their finances, the Government is proposing to provide a one-time special payment by early May 2020 through the Goods and Services Tax credit (GSTC). This will double the maximum annual GSTC payment amounts for the 2019-20 benefit year. The average boost to income for those benefitting from this measure will be close to $400 for single individuals and close to $600 for couples. This measure will inject $5.5 billion into the economy.

For over 3.5 million families with children, who may also require additional support, the Government is proposing to increase the maximum annual Canada Child Benefit (CCB) payment amounts, only for the 2019-20 benefit year, by $300 per child. The overall increase for families receiving CCB will be approximately $550 on average; these families will receive an extra $300 per child as part of their May payment. In total, this measure will deliver almost $2 billion in extra support.

Together, the proposed enhancements of the GSTC and CCB will give a single parent with two children and low to modest income nearly $1,500 in additional short-term support.

To ensure that certain groups who may be vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19 have the support they need, the Government is proposing targeted help by:

・Providing $305 million for a new distinctions-based Indigenous Community Support Fund to address immediate needs in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation communities.

・Placing a six-month interest-free moratorium on the repayment of Canada Student Loans for all individuals currently in the process of repaying these loans.

・Reducing required minimum withdrawals from Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIFs) by 25% for 2020, in recognition of volatile market conditions and their impact on many seniors’ retirement savings. This will provide flexibility to seniors that are concerned that they may be required to liquidate their RRIF assets to meet minimum withdrawal requirements. Similar rules would apply to individuals receiving variable benefit payments under a defined contribution Registered Pension Plan.

・Providing the Reaching Home initiative with $157.5 million to continue to support people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 outbreak. The funding could be used for a range of needs such as purchasing beds and physical barriers for social distancing and securing accommodation to reduce overcrowding in shelters.

・Supporting women and children fleeing violence, by providing up to $50 million to women’s shelters and sexual assault centres to help with their capacity to manage or prevent an outbreak in their facilities. This includes funding for facilities in Indigenous communities.

引用：Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan

ということで、まだ支援金の給付は始まっていませんが、EIと緊急支援金の受給の申請方法については以下のCBCの記事でまとめられているので、こちらもチェックしてみてください。

How to apply for employment insurance and COVID-19 emergency benefits. Emergency benefits to be made available in April for those who don't qualify for EI. https://t.co/C8iXefRUts

— CBC News Alerts (@CBCAlerts) March 19, 2020

EIの申請資格が無いという方も、政府の緊急支援策である「Emergency Care Benefit」と「Emergency Support Benefit」が受けられる可能性があります。（こちらは4月にCRAのサイトを通して申請開始となる予定です。）