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B.C. government doubles relief grants for bars, nightclubs ordered to close in December

Grants of up to $20,000 available, twice what was originally offered
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COVID-19 has led to the closure of restaurants and bars across Metro Vancouver. | Chung Chow

B.C. businesses that had been ordered to close December 22, 2021, as a means of limiting the spread of COVID-19’s Omicron variant are now eligible for grants of up to $20,000 – double the amount announced one week ago

The provincial government made the announcement January 19 on the heels of an announcement earlier this week that the closure period has been extended until February 16, which is almost a month later than the previously anticipated reopen date of January 18.

All bars, lounges and nightclubs that do not serve full meals and event venues that are no longer holding events that had been ordered to fully shut down can now apply for relief grants between $2,000 and $20,000, depending on the number of employees on staff at the time of closure. Previously, the grant range was $1,000 to $10,000.

Eligible fitness facilities and gyms that were previously closed at the same time as the other businesses are now eligible to reopen, per the announcement this week, and those businesses will still only be eligible for grants up to $10,000, depending on staff numbers.

"It's fair to say that the Omicron variant has created new challenges for all of us, but our government's commitment to support people and businesses through this latest COVID-19 wave is unwavering," said B.C.’s Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation Ravi Kahlon. "While we are encouraged to see that many fitness activities will now be able to take place in a safe, controlled environment, we know there are still sectors directly impacted by these public health measures.

“Our government will continue to support these businesses, as we have in the past. Together, we can move closer to putting this pandemic behind us."The amount of funding available for each business is based on the number of employees and contracted staff at the time of closure, as follows:

No employees or contracted staff: $2,000

1 to 4 : $4,000

5 to 99: $10,000

100+: $20,000

More than 3,000 businesses are expected to receive funds from the grant program, which has a total commitment from the government of $14 million. This is a $4 million increase over the original $10 million committed previously.

Applications will be accepted until February 28. Businesses can apply online here.