Trudeau promises more aid for Canadians

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday that his government will soon make emergency benefits accessible for Canadians who do not currently qualify.

Trudeau said the aid will cover people such as gig workers, contractors and volunteer firefighters who work 10 or fewer hours per week.

He added that there will be assistance for those who continue to work but are making less than they would through the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, such as home care workers or people caring for vulnerable seniors in long-term care facilities.

"You need support now, and work is underway to get it to you as soon as possible. For people in all of these situations, we see you. We're going to be there for you. And we're working as hard as we can to get you the support you need," Trudeau said at his daily press conference against the COVID-19 crisis.

Trudeau said 240,000 people have applied successfully for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, which opened to applications Monday morning.

The benefit will provide 2,000 Canadian dollars a month for four months for those eligible.

Trudeau said that his government is currently drafting its second piece of emergency legislation and will recall the Canadian parliament in the coming days to pass a multibillion-dollar expansion to COVID-19 financial assistance measures.

On April 1, Trudeau announced the expanded wage subsidy program -- a 75 percent subsidy for businesses to keep employees on staff, up from the initial 10 percent. It is the largest economic program in Canadian history and needs approval by the parliament.

As of Monday afternoon, there were 15,862 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 294 deaths in the country.