WATCH: Feds announced temporary expansion of worker lockdown program eligibility

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced today that the federal government will be temporarily expanding eligibility for the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit and the Local Lockdown Program.

Those impacted by capacity limiting restrictions will be eligible to apply, Trudeau said.

"We're going to be there for the hard-hit regions, for specific sectors like art and culture, hospitality, and tourism."  

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland explained that the federal government will temporarily expand the definition of 'lockdown' so wage and rent programs are available to support businesses and workers impacted by capacity restrictions of 50 per cent or more.

The government defined a lockdown to be when a health authority orders non-essential businesses closed and non-essential workers to stay home.

As a result, no part of the country was officially in lockdown, leaving those benefits out of reach for people even as businesses shut their doors and workers are sent home.

Businesses that now face capacity limits of 50 per cent or more are now eligible for benefits through the Local Lockdown Program, Freeland said. The revenue decline threshold will also be lowered from 40 per cent to 25 per cent.

"Eligible employers will receive wage and rent subsidy support from between 25 per cent to up to 75 per cent depending on how much revenue they have lost."

Employees impacted by capacity restrictions and have lost 50 per cent or more in income as a result of those capacity restrictions will qualify for the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit.

"This benefit will put $300 per week in your pocket to supplement your wages," Freeland said.

The temporary policy will apply from Dec. 19 to Feb. 12.

During his address, the Prime Minister also assured Canadians that tens of millions of rapid tests will be distributed to provinces in the coming weeks.

Approximately 85 million rapid tests have been delivered up until the month of December, including 35 million this month, he said.

"We need to follow public health guidelines to keep loved ones safe and to support our healthcare workers," Trudeau said. "I know people are tired. People don't want to be in this Omicron situation. I get it, none of us want to be here. We're tired of COVID. We want it to just go away. But we know it's not going to just go away unless we all do our part."

The Prime Minister urged everyone to their part to help curb the spread of the Omicron variant by limiting contacts, and commended the nation's frontline healthcare workers for their tireless efforts throughout the pandemic.

"Healthcare workers have been extraordinary heroes. They have been there for us every step of the way, and now we need to be there for them. We need to prevent Omicron from overwhelming our healthcare systems."

– with files from Canadian Press