The Protech Community Townhall on “Preparing for the New Normal: Emerging Needs and practical tips for the next phase of the Covid-19 Pandemic” was held on June 3rd 2020 and attended via zoom and FB live by over 200 participants.
During our speakers’ panel, our Medical Officer of Health from Toronto Public Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa spoke about what we can expect as the new normal in terms of how to practice self-care and socialize in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Internal medicine specialist Dr. Stephen Hwang talked about the preventive measures and treatments available. Legal clinic Director Avvy Go commented on the benefits and gaps of current government policies in response to the pandemic. Psychiatrist Dr. Kenneth Fung talked about the mental health impact of COVID-19 and practical tips on how to address them. Social justice advocate Susan Eng spoke about anti-Asian racism and what we can do in response and how to hold the government accountable.
The lively Q&A session that followed the panel addressed diverse questions ranging from safety tips when we go on rallies and protests; to how COVID-19 may impact immigration policies; to questions about experimental treatments; and how we can respond to racism fueled by the current political tension between Canada and China.
The townhall ended with small breakout groups, where participants shared their emerging concerns, unanswered questions, and suggestions for follow up action. The Protech team will tabulate the discussion results and share the report on our website in the near future. In the meantime, our townhall panel and Q&A session can be watched on Youtube.
