Ottawa's incentive program that encourages companies to keep workers on their payroll during the pandemic has already received 10,000 applications.
Applications for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy Program opened at 6 a.m. Monday.
"That gives you a sense of just how many people this program will help," said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. "Right across the country, it's going to keep businesses and workers connected."
The federal government will cover 75 per cent of wages for workers who otherwise would have been laid off. The limit is $847 a week, per worker.
Trudeau said the first payments should arrive on May 7.
Businesses can apply if they suffered a 15 per cent loss of revenue during March.
Last week, Trudeau announced an online calculator employers could use to estimate how much they could expect to receive. The portal went live Friday and, since then, has had 300,000 online views.
On Tuesday, Parliament will debate the Canadian Emergency Student Benefit during the federal government's first scheduled virtual sitting. The $9 billion program, announced last Wednesday, will help support students who can not find summer jobs to pay for tuition and daily expenses.
Parliament will sit in-person in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
