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Access to public services
In response to COVID-19, the Ontario government has closed many physical offices to avoid in-person contacts, however, it has also extended the expiry dates of many products such as driver’s licence and health cards to reduce and prevent service access disruption. For changes in services delivered by the Ontario government:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/serviceontario-centre-closures
Similarly, the City of Toronto has cancelled most of its programs and closed a number of City facilities. However, emergency response by police, fire department and paramedic services is not impacted. For details on changes to City operated services: In English: COVID-19: Changes to City Services
Toronto Community Housing:
https://www.torontohousing.ca/residents/community-services/Pages/Novel-Coronavirus-COVID-19-information.aspx
Social Support
City of Toronto Special support for seniors and vulnerable people:
In English: COVID-19: Seniors & Vulnerable People
Settlement, Social support and Mental Health support:
Many Community and Settlement Service agencies that service the Chinese Canadian communities continue to provide their services online or via phone.
- Carefirst Seniors & Community Services Association
- Centre for Immigrant and Community Services (CICS)
- Community Family Services of Ontario (CFSO)
- Cross Cultural Community Services Association (TCCSA)
- Hong Fook Mental Health Association
- Support Enhance Access Service (SEAS)
- University Settlement
Community Partners’ Showcase
Project Protech interviewed more than a dozen community partners, including many service providers, on how they had adapted their services in response to the COVID19 pandemics. Please check out the our Youtube Channel playlist: Community Partners’s Showcase.
Legal Support
For low income, non-English speaking people from the Chinese, Vietnamese, Laotian and Cambodian communities in Ontario, you can access free legal services via the Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic (CSALC)
For information on the law on your health and safety protection as a worker:
English factsheet
Chinese factsheet
For a variety of important questions people are asking about the law relating to the COVID-19 situation, the Steps to Justice website provides a guide with practical answers on many areas including housing, income assistance, employment, immigration, family law, family violence and criminal matters:
https://stepstojustice.ca/covid-19
For updated changes in policy and services related to immigration and refugee issues and international travel in relation to COVID-19:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19.html
Health Care
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure all residents of Ontario has access to health care and protection, the Ontario Government has expanded health care coverage so that everyone regardless of their status or insurance coverage can access needed health care.
For people who do not have health coverage during the COVID-19 outbreak, Health Network for Uninsured Clients had developed a multilingual resource guide to help people to find out and access health care services in Ontario during the COVID-19 outbreak. A copy of the guide is appended below:
Patient-resource-Health-Network-for-Uninsured-Clients-2