COVID-19 Resources & Changes at Progress Toronto
March 16, 2020 - 4:40pm
We are sharing this update on COVID-19, since, like us, we know that it is very likely top of mind for you.
We’re sharing information, resources, and the steps that we are taking as an organization to do our part to flatten the curve.
Below, you will find:
Public Health Resources and Updates
The situation we face with COVID-19 and the response of various levels of government is evolving rapidly. By now, you likely know that schools across Ontario will be closed until Sunday, April 5 and in Toronto many City-operated services, including City-run child care centres, libraries, and community centres have been closed until April 5 (tentatively). Travel at our borders is being restricted as well.
These actions are being taken to help slow the rate of COVID-19 infection in our communities and to protect vulnerable populations including seniors, people with compromised immune systems, and individuals experiencing homelessness.
Throughout this week, we expect to and hope to see all three levels of government take steps to protect small businesses and workers (especially precarious workers). We will be watching closely.
During this time, there is the potential for misinformation to spread and it’s important that we turn to reliable sources of information.
Here are the places that we, at Progress Toronto, are turning to for information:
Toronto Public Health
There is a lot of information available for you on the City’s website at https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/. We suggest you save that link and check back on it often as the situation evolves.
This Toronto Public Health website has health advice for you, a list of affected City Services, travel advice, information for organizations and events, information on economic support and recovery, information for health professionals, and more. Much of it is available in multiple languages. The City of Toronto has recently opened COVID-19 assessment centres.
You can also follow Toronto Public Health on Twitter for frequent updates: twitter.com/TOPublicHealth
Ontario Ministry of Health
There is information available for you on the Ontario Ministry of Health’s website here:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus.
The Ministry’s website includes a link to an online self-assessment you can take as well as contact information for Telehealth Ontario. The website also maintains information on the status of cases in Ontario, including information on how many people have been tested and confirmed negative or positive for COVID-19 and whether or not people are self-isolating or are hospitalized.
News releases are also posted on this page, including a recent news release on Job Protection for Workers during the COVID-19 Situation.
Public Health Agency of Canada
Another excellent source of information on COVID-19 is the Public Health Agency of Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection.html
This page includes information for you that is similar to Toronto Public Health and the Ontario Ministry of Health, but it also provides updates on the current situation across Canada and globally as well as commitments being made by our Federal Government. Updates and News Releases are also posted on this website.
What We Are Doing at Progress Toronto and How You Can Help
COVID-19 is having a significant impact on the way we are working and campaigning at Progress Toronto, but we are doing everything we can to continue our work and do our part to flatten the curve - slow the spread of COVID-19.
Our offices are closed and we are working remotely
From Monday March 16 to Sunday April 5, Progress Toronto’s offices are closed and our team is working remotely. We are doing this to make sure we are doing our part to practice social distancing, help slow the rate of COVID-19 infection in Toronto, and protect vulnerable populations.
To keep team morale up we have moved our meetings to video chats and will be checking in by video as a team at the beginning and end of every day. We’re even starting our morning meetings off with corny knock knock jokes and checking in to make sure everyone on the team is feeling ok despite social distancing.
We are running remote phone banks and have postponed door-to-door canvasses
Much of our work around housing affordability, child care, public education, and public health continues. Toronto is increasingly unaffordable and it’s precisely in times like these that we see where our social safety net is failing vulnerable people.
Many cuts to Public Services are still being considered by the Ford Government and the Provincial Budget will be coming out soon.
And so, our work continues.
Even though schools are closed for the next few weeks, the education cuts leading to larger class sizes, forced online courses, fewer course options for students, and fewer supports for our most vulnerable students, are still on the table for when school returns.
That's why our phone banks are continuing to operate - and now they are remote!
When you sign up to phone from home, you will start your shift by joining a video chat with others phoning from home. You’ll get to meet each other, hopefully contributing to a sense of community in these difficult times, and you will get trained on how to make calls. Once you start phoning, one of our Organizers will remain available to help you throughout the evening.
You can sign up to help phone remotely here: https://www.progresstoronto.ca/phone-bank-for-education-mar-2020
We had planned to host door-to-door canvasses as the weather improved, but those have all been postponed and replaced with our remote phone banks until further notice.
Our Spring Training Series will be online!
We will be launching our 4th Seasonal Training Series shortly (check out our Winter Training Series here) and this season we are planning to host it online!
Our Spring Training Series will run from mid-April to early June. We have space booked to host sessions in person, but for now we are also making plans to host our trainings remotely. Stay tuned to find out more and sign up!
The economic impact of COVID-19 is impacting the number of donations we are receiving
Over the last two weeks we’ve noticed a decline in the number of donations we are receiving and as the COVID-19 pandemic continues we expect this trend to continue.
This is difficult because we rely on donations to pay our rent and staff, for the tools we use to organize, to cover administrative costs, and much more.
Since we have postponed our door-to-door canvasses and have moved to running more phone banks, our costs are increasing. Remote phoning through the tool we use, while very affordable, is not free. Many of the cuts to public education and Public Health are still moving ahead and we need to do everything we can to stop them. That’s why we are continuing to organize through this time.
Just as we are facing financial concerns as an organization, we understand this might be a difficult time for you to give.
If you have the ability to give and can give a one time gift or even start a small monthly donation, it will go a long way in helping us hold on through these difficult times.
If you can:
Whether or not you can give today - thank you for your ongoing support and your commitment to building a better city.
Doug Ford Is Still Planning on Cutting Public Health Funding
Unfortunately, during a press conference last week, Doug Ford confirmed his planned cuts to local Public Health agencies for 2021 and 2022.
As you may remember, in 2019, Doug Ford announced big cuts to Toronto Public Health. Weeks after his announcement, in response to the public pressure Progress Toronto and thousands helped create, Ford reduced his cuts and committed to one-time funding to fill some of the gap his own cuts created. But there are still millions of cuts to Public Health already taking place.
This year, Ford’s Public Health cut to Toronto was $4.5 million and, once one-time funding dries up, Ford will be cutting $14.1 million from Toronto Public Health. These cuts could mean big cuts to Toronto’s Infectious Diseases Programs and other programs.
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic, shows how critical Public Health investments are.
We’ve done a roundup on what these cuts are and have a petition up and running that allows you to send a message to Ford, the Minister of Health, and your MPP - telling them to stop the Public Health cuts. Find out more and sign the petition here: https://www.progresstoronto.ca/public-health-cuts-petition
Thank you!
On behalf of our entire team - thank you for your support and for doing your part to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in Toronto and your communities.
Remember to check in online or by phone with friends, family, and loved ones to make sure they have what they need during this challenging time.
What It Means to Flatten the Curve
The term flatten the curve is commonly used by public health experts, but in the last few weeks you’ve likely heard it being used in the mainstream, on the news, on social media, and by your friends.
The curve is the line that maps the rise, peak, and fall of the number of people infected with COVID-19 over time.
To flatten the curve means to slow the rate of growth or spread of COVID-19. We want to do this so that when we reach our peak in terms of the number of people infected with COVID-19 at one point in time, our healthcare system is not overwhelmed and lives can be saved.
If our hospitals are overwhelmed, more lives are put at risk. If we flatten the curve and fewer people are infected with COVID-19 on any given day, hospitals will have a better chance to serve patients in need.
Follow the links to the government website above to find out the steps you can take to help flatten the curve. At Progress Toronto, we have closed our office to help with this, we are avoiding large crowds and practicing social distancing.