Here are today’s new developments:
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Prime Minister Trudeau announced aid for the energy sector, plus support for rural businesses and workers in the arts and culture sectors.
- Ontario will not follow the lead of other provinces and have Public Health take over the management of private long-term care facilities, a measure to stop the spread of COVID-19-- we have been calling on the government to raise LTC staff's wages, handle infection control, and step up recruitment, retention and scheduling of staff.
- Ontario will offer child care to staff in essential settings such as group homes and shelters, as well and law enforcement.
- The province is partnering with tech firms like Apple and Rogers to facilitate online learning for children while learning from home.
- Ontario is expected to release its latest modelling numbers on Monday, giving Ontarians a sense of what to expect in terms of projected COVID-19 case numbers and fatalities.
- A seniors’ advocacy group says the Ontario government limiting prescription refills to 30 days is hurting seniors financially – for weeks, the official opposition has been calling on the Ford government to cover the prescription co-payments seniors have to pay for every refill.
- As of April 20, all Canadians travelling by air will be asked to wear non-medical masks or face coverings. Those travelling by other modes will be encouraged to wear face coverings as much as possible.
Here are some concerns we are working on, and solutions we’re pushing for:
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Calling on Ontario to step up measures to protect long-term care workers by raising wages, handling infection control and staff scheduling and increasing recruitment and retention of staff.
- Calling on the government to listen to health experts and collect race and socio-demographic data on COVID-19.
- Calling on the government to close the dangerous gaps in his new orders to protect vulnerable group living facilities – gaps include waiting a week for measures to take effect, and exempting temp agency staff from the rule to work in one home only.
Here are some things we’re hearing from our community members:
- Ontario drivers say they need immediate relief on their auto insurance premiums, something the government's approach falls far short of.
- Concerns about the state of long-term care and seniors homes before COVID-19 — a problem the we have been raising for years.
- Ongoing concerns about small businesses that are failing, with some facing eviction — through no fault of their own — because there is no provincial support in place for expenses like commercial rent.
Email me to let me know how you’re doing, what you’re concerned about: [email protected]