Analysis of March 18 federal announcement on containing COVID-19

Our leadership as health providers is making a difference. On March 18, the federal government announced new financial supports for workers during the COVID-19 crisis. This will help many of our patients who previously had no options for coping with loss of income because they are sick, need to isolate, or are caring for ill family members. However, we are concerned that the amount of the benefit will be inadequate for many people to follow our medical advice. 

This is why we will continue to call for comprehensive measures to protect public health and contain COVID-19. Please endorse our renewed demands and ask your colleagues to do the same. 

This week, daily announcements in response to the escalating COVID-19 crisis have become the norm. The Decent Work and Health Network is committed to providing health workers with strong analysis of the latest developments, so that we can keep advocating effectively to protect our patients and public health.

If the newly announced Emergency Care Benefit and Emergency Support Benefit are administered like Employment Insurance (EI), they will only provide 55% of a worker’s income. This will continue to leave too many workers in the impossible position of deciding between following public health advice to socially distance and accepting income well below the poverty line. We echo recommendations for a minimum payment of $573 per week under all federal support programs during the coronavirus pandemic; this amount matches the current maximum for EI benefits.

The inadequacy of these newly announced supports, on their own, highlights the urgent need to provide at least 7 paid sick days for all workers, and 14 additional days in this crisis. Since workers get a full day’s pay when they take a paid sick day, our patients would be in a much stronger position to follow medical advice if they were already enacted in all jurisdictions.

The medical literature is clear that paid sick days are effective at containing viral transmission. For grocery store workers, personal support workers, food delivery workers and others who have gone to work sick or haven't followed advice to isolate because their bills can't wait, today's measures are too little too late. Our patients can’t afford to wait any longer for paid sick days and adequate emergency financial supports.