64/ APRIL 2020 THE RIDER


UPDATE: Canada’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Benefit


NOTICE TO INDUSTRY


TORONTO, April 3, 2020 – As part of its mandate, the Ontario Rac- ing task force, dedicated to addressing the financial impacts of COVID-19 as it relates to the industry, will provide regular updates to the Ontario horse racing community. During this time of uncertainty, including the temporary sus-


pension of live racing throughout the province, the task force would like to share an update regarding Canada’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) (below), which may be of help to certain participants in the Ontario horse racing industry. Applications for these benefits can be started beginning April


3, 2020. Please note: those who qualify for this benefit can begin the


application process April 3 and will be able to submit their applica- tion on April 6. This is designed to reduce the impact on the system by allowing people to enter early and compile their applications ahead of time. Visit ontarioracing.com for further updates from the Ontario


Racing task force, and comprehensive coverage of horse racing in Ontario.


**** Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)


The CERB supports Canadians by providing urgently needed finan- cial support to employed and self-employed Canadians who have been directly affected by COVID-19. It provides a payment of $2,000 for a 4 week period (equivalent to $500 a week) for up to 16 weeks.


Following is a summary of measures, which may be of benefit to


Aggie Veterinary labs cobble together 2,000 COVID-19 sampling kits


FDA-compliant swab kits to be donated to hospitals across the state


COLLEGE STATION, Texas — More than 2,000 COVID-19 sam- pling kits will soon be on their way to hospitals across the state, thanks to Aggie innovation and ingenuity. Viral sampling kits — usually used on pigs, cows and chick-


ens — are being repurposed to test humans by the Texas A&M Vet- erinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory in College Station. The sampling kits are being assembled from lab supplies already in stock at TVMDL’s four labs across the state. Once assembled, they will be shipped to hospitals in cities


with a Texas A&M System campus to help meet the surge in needed test kits including campuses in Galveston, McAllen and the Texas A&M School of Law in Fort Worth. The university presidents will determine where there is the greatest need for the kits in their com- munity. “No one has ever done this before, but tough times call for


creative measures,” said John Sharp, chancellor of the Texas A&M University System. “The very same experts who help track disease outbreaks in animals have put their minds to the biggest problem we all face today and doing what they can to help.” Dr. Bruce Akey, director of the Texas A&M Veterinary Med-


ical Diagnostic Laboratory, said he sent out a plea for supplies to his labs in Amarillo, Center and Gonzales and they began overnight- ing the supplies late last week. “We are assembling the supplies into sampling kits here in our


College Station lab,” Akey said. “We know that 2,000 may not seem like much when there are 20-plus million Texans at risk that may need testing, but if you need to be tested and you can’t right now because they don’t have this kit then it’s a pretty big deal to you and your family. So we are doing what we can right now.” The kits consist of a swab, a vial with transport media to pre-


serve the sample in the vial, and a bag. The components of the kits are approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for use in sam- pling humans for the COVID-19 virus. They usually cost about $4 to $5 if you were to order them in bulk before the pandemic swept through the existing stock. Now, these simple supplies are back-or- dered for months, crippling efforts to test humans for COVID-19. “We hope to get these sampling kits in the hospitals or clinics


where they are most needed as soon as possible,” Akey said. “We are pulling out all the stops.”


About The Texas A&M University System The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest sys-


tems of higher education in the nation with a budget of $6.3 billion. The System is a statewide network of 11 universities; a comprehen- sive health science center; eight state agencies, including the Texas Division of Emergency Management; and the RELLIS Campus. The Texas A&M System educates more than 151,000 students and makes more than 22 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. System-wide, research and development expenditures exceeded $1 billion in FY 2019 and helped drive the state’s economy.


participants in the Ontario horse racing industry. Who Can Apply The CERB will be available to workers: • residing in Canada, who are at least 15 years old; • who have stopped working because of COVID-19 or are eligible for Employment Insurance regular or sickness benefits; • who had income of at least $5,000 in 2019 or in the 12 months prior to the date of their application; and • who are or expect to be without employment or self-employment income for at least 14 consecutive days in the initial four-week pe- riod.


The income of at least $5,000 may be from any or a combina-


tion of the following sources: employment; self-employment; ma- ternity and parental benefits under the Employment Insurance program and/or similar benefits paid in Quebec under the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan. The Benefit is only available to individuals who stopped work


and are not earning employment or self-employment income as a re- sult of reasons related to COVID-19. If you have not stopped work- ing because of COVID-19, you are not eligible for the Benefit. Once you apply, you can expect to get your payment in 3 busi-


ness days if you have signed up for direct deposit, and approximately 10 business days if you haven’t signed up for direct deposit. If your situation continues, you can re-apply for a payment for multiple 4-week periods, to a maximum of 16 weeks (4 periods).


How to Apply Application submissions for the CERB will begin the week of


Monday, April 6, 2020.


There are two ways to apply: • Online with CRA My Account • Over the phone with an automated phone service


Get ready now Although you can't apply yet (applications begin April 6), you


can get ready now to ensure your application will be as easy and quick as possible. Check the government website here - www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/benefits/apply-for-cerb- with-cra.html - for more details on how to set up your application, what documentation is needed, and how to make sure you can access the funds when they become available.


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