Trudeau to announce aid for sectors hard hit by pandemic as talks continue on reopening economy

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce aid for some of the sectors hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will update Canadians on the latest measures the federal government is taking to slow the spread of COVID-19. 0:00

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce aid for some of the sectors hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis.

Trudeau will hold a daily news conference outside his residence at Rideau Cottage beginning at 11:15 a.m. ET. CBCNews.ca will carry it live.

Friday's announcement is expected to support various sectors, including orphan well clean up for Alberta's oil and gas sector.

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The new measures would be on top of previously announced programs to support struggling businesses, including a 75 per cent wage subsidy for businesses of all sizes, as well as charities and non-profits.

The federal government is also backing loans of up to $40,000 for businesses that have a payroll between $20,000 and $1.5 million a year. The interest-free loan includes up to $10,000 that is non-repayable.

To date, 220,000 loans worth $8.8 billion have been approved.

Trudeau has warned that reopening the economy too soon could risk increasing the transmission of COVID-19, but some premiers have been considering ways to gradually get people back to work.

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