Last week on Friday, we launched a BRIEF survey to collect information from employers about the myriad challenges you are facing amid COVID-19. Your input will help us consolidate issues, and share information and ideas, but most importantly, to advocate with the provincial government on what Manitoba businesses need to move forward and recover.
If you have already completed our survey - THANK YOU. If you haven't already done so, please take five minutes to provide us with crucial information before 11:59 PM on Wednesday, March 25. Our methodologically-sound survey is designed and conducted by Leger Marketing, and all collected information will be aggregated to ensure respondent anonymity.
As employers, we're operating in unprecedented conditions. At the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, we've been working hard to compile and collect reliable and accurate COVID-19 information, updates relevant to Manitoba employers
, and business continuity planning materials.
As a result of your research, we have created an employer preparedness toolkit to guide you during this challenge. Please note: In the interest of releasing the guide quickly to ensure it is most helpful, we will likely continue to update and amend it, as information evolves.
Very special thanks to our partners at Taylor McCaffrey for their valuable contributions to the toolkit's robust Frequently Asked Questions section.
As always, we advise you that the legal information contained within this toolkit is intended to serve as a reputable guide only, and that you should always seek legal counsel in support of your specific situation.
As of this morning, March 23, public health officials advise the number of lab-confirmed positive and presumptive positive cases in Manitoba remains at 20. Current public health recommendations for Manitobans include:
Public health officials are strongly advising all Manitobans, including health-care providers, to cancel or postpone any non-essential travel (international/ within Canada.) There shouldn't be any recreational, tourist, or non-essential personal travel.
Anyone who returns from travel, either international or domestic, should self-isolate and self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days following their return. (Exceptions are commercial transportation of goods and services; workers who must travel to Manitoba from a neighbouring jurisdiction for work, and
normal personal travel in border communities including visits to a cottage.) If symptoms develop during 14-day self-isolation or self-monitoring period, Manitobans should contact Health Links-Info Sante to determine if testing for COVID-19 should be considered.
In an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and keep in-home health-care providers and our communities safe, new screening steps will be undertaken in advance of home and community visits. Health-care providers are contacting clients to complete screening in advance of normal appointments.
Eleven community testing sites are open throughout the province. A referral to these sites is needed and they are not walk-in clinics. Information on locations and hours of operation are available at www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/locations.htm
The province will extend the April and May filing deadlines for small and medium-sized businesses with monthly remittances of no more than $10,000. Businesses will have up to two additional months to remit retail sales taxes and the Health and Post Secondary Education Tax Levy.
Manitoba Chambers of Commerce and our colleagues at the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce are very pleased to be working with the Province of Manitoba's
Department of Families in supporting childcare.
In accordance with Manitoba Public Health department's recommendations on social distancing, the Department of Families has been forced to make significant updates and shifts to the provision of childcare services.
The department has developed a grant program to incent Early Childhood Educators interested in providing services within their own homes. Information about this $3,000 grant available to ECEs (2 or 3) is available on the department's website here, and both MCC and the Winnipeg Chamber will begin posting all required documentation on our respective websites as soon as it is available (likely in one to two days).
