Currently the government is calling for retired physicians and nurses to re-register to deal with COVID-19 pandemic, and their services are so appreciated; however, we are neglecting the fact that we also have a sizeable number of Internationally-trained health professionals who have come to Canada from various avenues, from skilled migrants to refugees, who have the skills to help in this crisis, but currently cannot practice because it is exceedingly difficult to have their credentials recognized. It makes little sense in this time of crisis that there are members of our community who may need medical assistance at the same time as having members of our communities who could help but are currently not allowed to practice. It is worth mentioning that one of the main reasons for the occurrence of medical errors is a high workload of physicians. Therefore, recruitment of IMGs can improve the quality of care from different aspects, make medical services accessible to all Canadians, and prevent much harm to IMGs and their families. The current bylaw amendments proposed by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC (read more here: https://globalnews.ca/news/6774818/bc-associate-physician-foreign-trained-doctors-coronavirus/) is a step in the right direction, and we applaud the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC and the Ministry of Health for taking action. However, we believe more needs to be done to strengthen this amendment to help British Columbians, and the IMGs during this time and for the future. Now is the time to let a group of highly skilled New Canadians be part of the solution to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. As Dr John Blatherwick, former Medical Health Officer of Vancouver Coastal Health said: “Now is the time for us to consider foreign-trained graduates that we have in our community. We have an army of physicians, who can help bravely… This is a good time to sit down and say, Okay! We haven’t tackled this problem. We wasted all those people’s talents, and now we could use them.”

Did you know, that if one spouse works full time, and the other receives ODSP Disability income, if that working spouse, gets furloughed, or laid off, and applies for the Covid 19 federal support benefit, ODSP will claw back those funds from the ODSP Recipients benefit dollar for dollar? How does this allow workers, to support their vulnerable family members? This was the answer from the ODSP Disability office, to my disabled husband, who recently suffered a heart attack! Why is this happening during a National Emergency and global pandemic? What use, will the Federal Assistance be, to a furloughed worker, if it is deducted dollar for dollar by the Province? It leaves us in the same reduced financial situation! No income from work, and having to live solely, on the paltry amount left over after clawbacks by ODSP? How can a worker help his/her vulnerable family members to prepare for sheltering at home, and purchase enough supplies to survive, in this national and global pandemic? Yet, both Federal and Provincial Governments strongly advise us to stay home? With the ODSP mandates, as they stand, how is this possible? I find it strange that neither the Federal Government, nor Provincial Government, has even addressed this? There is literally a media blackout on these questions. Why is this so? In calling a certain MPP's office, to ask these same questions, one of the responses given to me by his Representative, was; "We don't want anyone defrauding the system...not you of course!" This obviously insensitive, and cruel comment, should not be directed to the public by a Representative, speaking on behalf of an elected Official! Especially during a health crisis! I don't see how a worker, asking legitimate questions, has anything to with "defrauding" the Province! I don't understand why no one is addressing ODSP Disability Recipients, directly, in their public messages, to alleviate the stress and uncertainty, to answer any questions during a global pandemic? Seems cruel to ignore the most vulnerable...when the Provincial Government "claims" they wish to "protect ALL the People in Ontario?" Does the Federal Government know that this is happening, at the provincial level, during this crisis? The discretionary funds promised by the Provincial Government, to ODSP Recipients are not available at ODSP Offices. ODSP Caseworkers, whom have received many calls, have no information to offer, nor funding! There are many, including low-income senior citizens and ODSP Disability Recipients, out of food and supplies. Not only due to having little or no funding, but unable to obtain their necessities due to others' hoarding!

This will give all of us some hope during the pandemic and the future.

Hundreds of thousands of people across the country are in dire need of support during this crisis, but they are excluded from accessing the support of CERB. Many students do not qualify. If students made less than $5K in 2019, they don’t qualify — even if they didn’t have time to earn an income on top of full-time studies. Graduating students that are entering the job market do not qualify even though they have no income and are likely carrying heavy debt loads. People collecting disability benefits could be left behind. If you’ve lost a job or other income source to COVID-19, but you also receive some form of support — like disability pay — you don’t qualify. Many part-time workers are not eligible. Part-time workers who have had their hours cut back, but still have some income,do not qualify. If someone has two jobs and loses one of them, they cannot access CERB. Even if their income is reduced to almost nothing, they won’t be able to access the CERB. These exclusions are real people who — without support from CERB — won’t be able to pay their bills or feed their kids. In a crisis of this magnitude, we need to make sure everyone has their basic needs met. . But the CERB program as it currently stands excludes millions. We still have a chance to make it better — a chance to ensure no one is left behind. Will you add your name?

Many people are making $11.30- $27 an hour to risk their safety, and/or endanger their vulnerable housemates. This is grotesquely unacceptable. Personal care workers across Canada make $11-15 an hour work in close contact with vulnerable and sick people all day. As an RPN/LPN in Ontario, I can make $22 an hour being a nurse in my town. Is that enough to put me and my elderly parents that I live with the highest risk situation our country has seen in years? Meanwhile white collar workers are relying on us all to provide them with food, groceries, clean long-term care homes, and healthcare, while they get to remain in the safety of their nice condos and houses that they own. COVID-19 has made many more poor people risk their safety than wealthier ones, and in a rich and developed nation, that is shameful. Please sign this and share widely, - a fellow concerned citizen

This fund was promised in mid March to help Albertans affected by Covid-19 as an advance fund to the one put forward by the Federal Government that won't be accessible until April. To date, the Alberta relief website still states that the information on how to apply is coming soon. It feels like Mr Kenny is playing a game of dodgeball with us. Myself and many others have been self isolating due to illness, or looking after someone who is. We need this package yesterday.

This would stream line the entire process. There would be no need for EI claims (therefore no need for extra staff, which equals less chance of exposure), no need for OW reporting (again, more workers could be at home), no need for mortgage deferrals, bans on utility cut offs, student loan deferrals, ect, ect. ALL of these issues, and more, would no longer be a problem period. This would also address the concerns of people the current programs do not cover by giving the people who are left out allowences as well.

Many of us will not be re-hired after being laid off, mostly because of our age (and because of our higher wages compared to what our less experienced co-workers are receiving). Instead of us struggling with a lower income from EI (and perhaps welfare when EI runs out), allow "pre-seniors” to start receiving their OAS and GIS earlier. Our pension incomes would likely be significantly higher than EI benefits. Transitioning our vulnerable demographic into retirement and thereby “socially distancing” us from workplaces could also help reduce pressure on the health care system.

We are over the age of 60 and were forced our of the work force because of health reason. They offer help to those that have just lost their jobs for 15 weeks how ever we are left behind. Now with Covid-19 we can't even go look for part time work. I believe we are not alone with this short fall in CPP. We are unseen by our Government and will get no help .

793 people died of CoV2 in Italy on March 21, surpassing its own record set only 1 day prior. The death toll & confirmed case count in Italy & places all over the world show no signs of abating. In Canada the number of deaths leapt by 50% overnight. China is one of the only countries thus far that has managed to curtail the spread of CoV2 & has done so by mounting a war-like effort against the virus. Without social intervention, CoV2 spreads at exponential rates. This does not simply mean "quickly", it means that the more it spreads, the more quickly it will spread. The humanitarian, personal, social & economic consequences also compound exponentially. Every day that we don't act costs us tenfold on the other end.The cost of inadequate or delayed action is a humanitarian & economic catastrophe.

We need to be smart about how we respond to the pandemic. And consider the costs. Our short-term costs may turn out resulting in the greatest benefits long term. At the very least, we need to buy ourselves time to come up with an effective longer term plan.

We are entering the very rapid rising part of the epidemic curve. Social distancing measures needed to control this in the absence of increased testing capacity will be extreme. We are a week or so away from large numbers of COVID-19 cases entering our ERs and ICUs. Based on what has happened around the world, we know that ICUs will be overwhelmed, and our doctors will have to make decisions about who gets a ventilator, "which" person's life is worth more than another's. We do not want these decisions to have to be made. We need to reduce red tape for diagnostic testing so that highly skilled scientists from outside public health labs can contribute labour and resources.