The Canadian Red Cross will receive $100 million to help it meet Canadian鈥檚 pandemic demands as well as prepare it to handle future floods and wildfire relief efforts, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said May 16.
Trudeau said organizations such as the Red Cross have seen requirements for their services increase while volunteers stay away and donations dwindle due to the pandemic.
鈥淭he organization is helping Canadians at quarantine sites, in long-term care facilities, and through its mobile field hospital,鈥� Trudeau said. 鈥淎nd now it needs our support to continue providing the expertise, services, and relief efforts that we rely on during emergencies.鈥�
This funding includes up to $41 million to address immediate COVID-19 needs. More than $15 million is committed to enhance the Red Cross鈥� response capacity and $25 million to support public health efforts.
Canadian Red president Cross Conrad Sauv茅 said his organization is thankful for the support.
COVID-19 has impacted Canadians in unprecedented ways, and the Red Cross is committed to assisting people as needs continue to emerge,鈥� Sauv茅 said. 鈥淭his contribution is a key investment that will enable the Red Cross to adapt to the challenges presented by COVID-19, as well as help to assist Canadians by equipping, recruiting and training people to be better prepared for events that occur during this pandemic and beyond.鈥�
Trudeau said the Red Cross funding would be used to recruit and train volunteers and staff, adapt operations to COVID-19 realities, support quarantine and isolation sites, acquire personal protective equipment for its personnel and volunteers, provide training to the health care sector and other essential workers on using personal protective equipment, and maintaining infection prevention and control measures within facilities, expand their roster of public health and infection prevention and control specialists and to procure and deploy, as necessary, emergency health supplies and equipment, including a mobile field hospital, to prepare for future waves and outbreaks of COVID-19.
Of the funds, up to $59 million is earmarked to support additional relief and recovery efforts this year related to COVID-19, as well as for future floods and wildfires.
The funding is in addition to that provided to the Red Cross through the Emergency Community Support Fund announced on April 21, 2020.
