[PriestREA]

All non-essential businesses have been ordered to close in my province. Everyone at my firm was instructed to work from home until May 1st, but this will likely be extended as officials predict a peak in late April. Despite being able to work from home, our firm has suffered an exceptionally low client acquisition/retention rate, leaving us with no work.

The government reported that a million people signed up for unemployment benefits in the last week alone, so Canada has nearly doubled its original $27bn stimulus package by instead offering $52bn to those affected. Canadians can expect $2,000 a month for the next four months if they've been affected by the virus. Other measures to protect Canadians have been put in place - the government has now ordered that student loan and mortgage repayments be deferred for a six month period, while the provincial government in Alberta (among others) has declared it unlawful to evict a tenant on the basis of non-payment starting April 1st. This is expected to last for the duration of our health emergency.