The Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, released details today on a Pandemic Relief Grant that will benefit households in isolated Labrador communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A grant in the amount of $250 will be issued to 1,213 households in nine communities: Nain, Hopedale, Natuashish, Makkovik, Postville, Rigolet, Mud Lake, Black Tickle and Norman Bay. One-time funding in the amount of $331,000 is being provided by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and administered by the Labrador Affairs Secretariat.

The five Inuit Community Governments, the Mushuau Innu First Nation, the Local Service District of Black Tickle, the Mud Lake Improvement Committee, and the Norman Bay Recreation Committee have compiled lists of eligible households in their respective communities and each of them will be responsible for issuing the Pandemic Relief Grants. More information on the grants can be found in the backgrounder below.

The Provincial Government has worked closely with various entities to prevent the introduction of COVID-19 into the isolated communities of Labrador. These communities are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of the COVID-19 virus, and more severely affected by measures to contain the virus.

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“We have spent considerable time working to protect the well-being of residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The work we have done, and continue to do, is to help ease the burden of this unprecedented time. We have been acutely aware that residents in Labrador’s isolated communities have been more severely impacted by the measures taken to contain COVID-19. The Pandemic Relief Grant helps to alleviate those impacts on households in Labrador’s isolated communities.”
Honourable Dwight Ball
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

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Media contact
Jeremy Reynolds
Office of the Premier
709-729-3558
jeremyreynolds@gov.nl.ca

BACKGROUNDER

 Information on Pandemic Relief Grants for Isolated Labrador Communities

 The Provincial Government has signed contracts with the five Inuit community Governments of Nunatisiavut, the Mushuau Innu First Nation, the Local Service District of Black Tickle, and community organizations in Mud Lake and Norman Bay to disburse the one-time $250 per Household Pandemic Relief Grant in these isolated Labrador communities.

Households have been identified by these governments and organizations.

These governments and organizations have agreed to distribute the Pandemic Relief Grant to the households which they have identified.

For the purpose of the Pandemic Relief Grant, a household includes all  occupants of the dwelling as one unit. All units must be active with permanent residents to qualify. Multiple families occupying one dwelling are entitled to receive $250 for the unit.

Householders will be required to sign household identification and privacy consent documents and confirm receipt of the Pandemic Relief Grant.

Householders who have questions about the financial support should direct them to the appropriate above noted government or organization.