In Canada and around the globe, information on COVID-19 is rapidly evolving. It is dominating our news, conversations with friends and family and our professional lives. With so much coming at us, we want to make it easy for employees to access the latest updates on how Canadian Blood Services is responding.   

What kind of updates can you expect? This daily digest will highlight the latest policy and employee support measures, resources to help you manage our new reality and original content like articles and videos to remind us that what we do matters.  

Things are moving quickly, so you can expect to hear from us daily. No access to email? No problem — all of this information and more can be found on blood.ca/employees. You can reach this one-stop portal from any device, no login required.  

Here is the latest.  

New wellness measures in donor centres: Effective today, a number of new enhanced cleaning, physical distancing and additional wellness measures were implemented in donor centres across the country. Visit https://www.blood.ca/en/wellness to see what’s new. 

Calling all volunteers: To help support our donor centres, we are looking for volunteers to help with tasks such as refilling supplies, assisting at refreshment stations and managing donor flow and safety at our wellness checkpoints. If you would like to support and feel you have the capacity to do so, please contact your manager along with your availability.   

Convalescent plasma: Dana Devine, chief scientist at Canadian Blood Services, discusses how convalescent plasma could help patients with COVID-19. 

Government aid package: Yesterday, the federal government introduced emergency legislation valued at $107 billion to respond to Canadians financially affected by COVID-19. The aid package includes the following measures: 

• A temporary boost to Canada Child Benefit payments, delivering approximately $2 billion in extra support. 

• A new Emergency Care Benefit of up to $900 bi-weekly, for up to 15 weeks, to provide income support to workers, including the self-employed.  

• A new Emergency Support Benefit to provide up to $5 billion in support to workers not eligible for employment insurance and who are facing unemployment. 

• A six-month, interest-free reprieve on student loan payments. 

• A doubling of the homeless care program. 

• An extension of the tax filing deadline to June 1. 

• $305 million for a new Indigenous Community Support Fund to address immediate needs in First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation communities. 

• Amendments to the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation Act to allow the Finance Minister to increase insurance coverage. 

For more information, visit www.canada.ca  

The need goes on series — Fighting childhood leukemia:  Ty Armatage’s story serves to remind us that what we do matters. He is highly vulnerable to COVID-19, and he also depends on blood products. Read more about the impact of Canadian Blood Services employees and donors on blood.ca. 

Have questions? Check out blood.ca/employees or email us at communications@blood.ca   

Click here to read past editions of the daily digest.