This plan supports millions of Quebeckers who are going through tough times because of the pandemic. So far, more than two million Quebeckers have applied for the Canada emergency response benefit, which provided support to eligible workers who had to stop working or whose hours were reduced because of COVID-19. Although the program has now come to a close, Quebeckers who still need support can now turn to the Canada recovery benefit.
We also provided direct support to the most vulnerable in Quebec: students, seniors, families with children and low-income front-line workers. On October 22, more than 160,000 Quebec businesses received support through the Canada emergency business account for a total of more than $6 billion.
During this difficult period it is essential for all levels of government to work together to protect our economy and fight against COVID-19. We brought in the Canada emergency commercial rent assistance program in collaboration with all the provinces and territories. So far this program has helped more than 137,000 small businesses and supported 1.2 million jobs in the country. In Quebec, more than 32,000 business owners have used this subsidy for a total of nearly $400 million in commercial rent assistance. This subsidy has ultimately contributed to supporting more than 228,000 jobs in Quebec.
On October 9, 2020, the government proposed a new Canada emergency rent subsidy. This new subsidy builds on the previous program by providing direct, targeted and easy-to-access support for qualifying organizations affected by COVID-19. Those who pay rent would not have to go through the owner of the building they occupy.
In addition to Canada's COVID-19 economic response plan, the Government of Canada created the regional relief and recovery fund, an initiative with an envelope of more than $280 million just for Quebec. This fund aims to help Quebec businesses and organizations that need immediate assistance with their cashflow. It is intended for all of Quebec's economic sectors, such as aviation, cultural and sporting events, food production, manufacturing, retail, technology and tourism. So far, more than $211 million has been paid to various Quebec businesses and organizations through the regional relief and recovery fund.
In addition to all of these programs, we committed to investing up to $173 million in a Quebec company called Medicago. This investment will allow the company to continue developing a reliable vaccine manufactured in Canada.
In conclusion, the programs created by the government support Canadians—