Grants up to $10K promised to businesses closed under latest COVID-19 restrictions

Vancouver -

The B.C. government has announced one-time grants of up to $10,000 for businesses forced to close under the province's latest COVID-19 restrictions.

The COVID-19 Closure Relief Grant will go to bars, nightclubs, gyms, fitness centres and adult dance centres impacted by new measures intended to slow transmission of the Omicron variant of concern.

Event venues that are no longer able to operate under the restrictions will also be eligible.

Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon said applications will open in January, and use a similar formula to the Circuit Breaker Business Relief Grant implemented during the third wave of COVID-19 cases back in the spring.

"These businesses are an important part of our local community and provide jobs to thousands of British Columbians," Kahlon said Friday. "We're committed to helping them through these very difficult times."

The grants range from $1,000 to $10,000, about half the amount offered during the last relief program, though Kahlon noted the current closure orders are expected to be much shorter. As of now, impacted businesses are scheduled to reopen on Jan. 19.

Money distributed through the program, which is expected to total around $10 million, can be used for expenses such as rent, wages, insurance, maintenance and utilities.

Businesses that already registered for a former relief program will be fast-tracked, the province said. Details on how to apply for the grants are being released in the coming weeks.

There has been pushback to the latest orders, particularly in the fitness industry, which has questioned the government's justification for the closures. The Fitness Industry Council of Canada has pressured the province to release data on the spread of COVID-19 in gyms and similar facilities.

"We have heard from many of our members, who report hundreds of thousands of member check-ins at their gyms during 2021 – and from our data, few or no COVID transmissions," council spokesperson Erin Phelan said in an email.

The circumstances of the pandemic have been rapidly changing since the arrival of Omicron, however, with case numbers spiking across the country. Canada reported a total of 14,995 infections on Wednesday, marking the highest single-day total since the start of the public health crisis.

B.C. has recorded record numbers provincially for two days in a row as well.

Deputy Premier Mike Farnworth acknowledged the hardship B.C.'s latest measures will cause for some businesses, but stressed that the measures are necessary to get the province through the next few weeks without overwhelming hospitals.

"These closures are not something anyone wants before the holidays, but the reality is we are faced with having to make these restrictions to protect each other and our hospitals," he said.

Health officials have pointed to emerging data indicating Omicron is more transmissible and has more immune evasion than previous variants. It also appears to have a shorter incubation period, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said this week.

In addition to B.C.'s relief funding, the federal government has announced expanded eligibility for several support programs to help those impacted by new restrictions in various jurisdictions.