Other homes of the underclass during Covid-19 and elections: meat processing plants, prisons, reserves, and homeless

Canada has negotiated with Quebec an agreement to create a path to permanent residency for health care workers who put their lives at risk in hospitals and long-term care homes, but this agreement will not extend to other asylum workers who put their lives at risk in essential services such as food services and security. Once again half measures is all that the Trudeau government does. 

The federal government is granting permanent residency to some asylum seekers who cared for patients in hospitals and long-term care homes at the height of the pandemic last spring, in a one-time program that became more restrictive as Ottawa negotiated with Quebec. ...

The compromise with Quebec, where most of the affected asylum seekers live and which has an agreement with Ottawa to oversee immigration, is to grant permanent residency if they worked in a hospital or other health-care institution and meet other eligibility requirements.

The decision would affect about 1,000 claimants across Canada. ...

hose working in hospitals and understaffed care homes risked exposure to COVID-19 — sometimes with fatal consequences — and have come to be known as "guardian angels" in Quebec. ...

To be eligible for permanent residency, asylum seekers must:

• Have applied for asylum before March 13 and have a work permit.
• Have worked in patient care at a health-care institution for at least 120 hours between March 13 and August 14.
• Have six months of experience in patient care at a health-care institution by Aug. 31, 2021.
• Meet other criteria related to permanent residency, notably health and safety requirements. ...

The federal government had initially envisioned broader eligibility requirements, which would have included other workers in hospitals and care facilities, such as security guards and maintenance staff.

But after weeks of negotiations with Quebec, Ottawa decided to tighten the program. As is the case with all who settle in the province, the asylum seekers will still need a certificat de sélection du Quebec (CSQ) from the province.

The program is open to both those whose cases are still open and those who have been denied permanent residency. An eligible asylum seeker's spouse and children will also be granted status under the program if they live in Canada. ...

"I think what it offers right now is a glimmer of hope," said Toronto-based immigration lawyer Adrienne Smith. Her clients, some of whom work in Ontario's long-term care homes, are facing delays of up to two years for a hearing with the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.

"They're putting their lives on the line right now, not even knowing they're going to be allowed to stay in the country," she said.

Montreal-based community group La Maison d'Haiti, which was consulted over the summer about the federal program, estimates there are thousands of asylum seekers in the province. The group's executive director, Marjorie Villefranche, is frustrated with the end result. She says the group pushed for all those who were working in what Quebec defined as essential services during the pandemic to be included. "They think that they came here and claimed for asylum the wrong way. It's like a punishment," she said of the provincial government.

Many Haitian asylum seekers reach Canada by crossing at an unofficial entry point at Roxham Road near Hemmingford, Que. ...

Paul Clarke, executive director of Action Réfugiés Montréal, said while it's always good news when asylum seekers are granted status, this measure does not go far enough. "There were asylum seekers who were working in warehouses all through the pandemic making sure that there was food at your local Loblaws or Provigo," he said. "It's a time to be generous with people who need protection."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/asylum-seekers-guardian-angels-c...

The UN is warning of the risks indigenous people around the world face during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Thanks to their traditional knowledge and their relationship with the natural world, they have long known that the degradation of the environment has the potential to unleash disease. As we fight against the spread of the pandemic, it is more important than ever to safeguard indigenous peoples and their knowledge. Their territories are home to 80% of the world’s biodiversity and they can teach us much about how to rebalance our relationship with nature and reduce the risk of future pandemics. ...

Indigenous communities already face a host of challenges, and the unfortunate present reality is that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are worsening these challenges further still.

Indigenous communities already experience poor access to healthcare, significantly higher rates of diseases, lack of access to essential services, sanitation, and other key preventive measures, such as clean water, soap, disinfectant, etc. Likewise, most  nearby local medical facilities are often under-equipped and under-staffed. Even when indigenous peoples can access healthcare services,  they can face stigma and discrimination. A key factor is to ensure services and facilities are provided in indigenous languages, as appropriate to the specific situation of Indigenous peoples. ...

Indigenous peoples’ traditional lifestyles are a source of their resiliency and can also pose a threat at this time in preventing the spread of the virus.  For example, most indigenous communities regularly organize large traditional gatherings to mark special events e.g. harvests, coming of age ceremonies, etc. Some indigenous communities also live in multi-generational housing, which puts Indigenous peoples and their families, especially the Elders, at risk.

Furthermore, indigenous peoples  already face food insecurity as a result of the loss of their traditional lands and territories or even climate change effects. They also  confront even graver challenges accessing food. With the loss of their traditional livelihoods, which are often land-based, many indigenous peoples, who work in traditional occupations and subsistence economies or in the informal sector, will be adversely affected by the pandemic. The situation of indigenous women, who are often the main providers of food and nutrition to their families, is even graver.

https://www.un.org/en/observances/indigenous-day

The following article talks about the homeless in Toronto not counting. The same could be said for the rest of Canada or for that matter anywhere in the world. 

In Toronto, in a pandemic, homeless people don't "count." ...

For over 20 years frontline workers and advocates have been tracking homeless deaths and holding a monthly homeless memorial outdoors, rain or shine, at the Church of the Holy Trinity. Names are added to a makeshift outdoor memorial board, people's lives are honoured and the tragedy of their death called out. There is music, the sharing of grief and a community meal.

In January, 2020 the 1,000th name was added to the memorial.  ...

Homeless people in the pandemic have been left behind. In March, the city stopped posting overnight shelter statistics (an indicator of crowding and lack of vacancy) until the Toronto ombudsman office intervened and an agreement they would post weekly was achieved. The city's reluctance to enforce physical distancing in shelters meant that a legal coalition had to take the city to court to enforce two-metre physical distancing of beds, cots and mats.

The city's mask bylaw for indoor common spaces did not apply to shelters and a mask policy for shelter residents was only announced September 4.

Even in death homeless people are left behind. The last death statistic on the city website is for January 2020, and is only from the death in shelter data set. ...

From my limited knowledge I can tell you that during the pandemic two women were found dead, one in a tent, one in a sleeping bag outside. At the September memorial two of the four names added had been murdered. The number of overdose deaths in hotel/shelters is staggering. An agency worker has reported to me that she knows of 10 deaths at her shelter. At least four people have died of COVID.

Surely, this is urgent information that begs attention. ...

While Toronto Public Health and the city’s shelter division shut down tracking homeless deaths, other equally busy city departments continued with data collection and reporting in 2020. I was able to easily find these numbers:

Homicides. As of September 13: 52

In addition: auto theft, break and entry, robbery, sexual assault categories are all included as of September 2020.

Shooting and firearm discharges. As of September 12: 357 Fatal collisions. As of June 2: 781 Toronto Fire responses. As of September 14: Overall fires up 17 per cent since the pandemic.  DineSafe Toronto. As of July: In one week, five. Photo-radar. As of September 8: more than 22,000 tickets issued.

The pandemic is teaching us many lessons about inequity. As Greg Cook notes: "One thing that this global pandemic has made even more crystal clear is that some lives aren't cared for by our city government. Some deaths not even acknowledged.

https://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/cathy-crowes-blog/2020/09/torontos-home...

Below is a summary of the many vunerable groups and the problems they face during the Covid crisis. 

Emerging challenges impacting people living in vulnerable circumstances

Human rights groups, experts and communities have come together in an unprecedented way during this crisis to provide recommendations to governments on how to ensure rights are protected and that strong human rights oversight is in place as governments respond to this pandemic.

In developing response plans, governments must consider these issues, and the recommendations put forward by human rights experts and rights holders.

Below are examples of some of the challenges facing individuals in vulnerable circumstances as we work together to flatten the curve.

People with Disabilities

People with disabilities face barriers in many forms, and in many places on a daily basis. With the challenging times we are in today, they are particularly impacted and the barriers they face may be greater.

Not all communications surrounding COVID-19 have been done in an accessible format, and not all services, including health and delivery, are accessible. Refilling a medication, getting groceries or fresh air, may not be possible.

With people’s daily lives being turned upside down, anxiety and stress will affect us all. For people with mental health issues, isolation can worsen existing conditions, and many do not have the means or support to help them through these challenging times. The mental health and well-being of all Canadians must be considered as the current situation evolves.

Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous populations are now facing greater challenges. For example, overcrowding in housing makes social distancing, self-isolation or quarantining an issue. In northern, remote, isolated and urban Indigenous communities, there may be 10 people living in a space designed for two or three. Housing in disrepair also serves to support transmission of respiratory illness.

A lack of access to adequate health care, which is already an issue in many Indigenous communities, make residents more vulnerable and potentially at greater risk of exposure to the virus.

Children

As we all face changes in our daily lives, we must not forget that children have also had their lives changed.

In emergencies around the world daycares and schools are often the first to close and last to re-open. This leaves many children without a safe place, a sense of normalcy, often a nutritious meal, or other critical supports, all of which are necessary for a child’s well-being and development. Schools, daycares and care providers provide far more than an education.

People in Housing Need or Facing Food Insecurity

As people are laid off, or unable to work, poverty will increase. Closing public spaces means that many no longer have access to computers, the internet or other supports. Applying for employment insurance, wage subsidies, or other measures to help with the cost of living, may not be possible as a result.

Housing - Canadians who face sudden layoffs are concerned about the security of their housing. A first concern for those affected by job loss is: how will I pay rent, will my job and income return before my mortgage deferral period runs out?

With poverty increasing, homelessness will rise. For those who are already homeless, staying home is impossible. Following public health and government advice, guidelines and rules is impossible.

As shelters become more crowded, social distancing and self-isolation is impossible for this already vulnerable population. Those who need to seek refuge or shelter may be less likely to do so because of the increased public safety measures and fears of being exposed to the virus.

People Facing Food Insecurity - As some food banks are forced to close, daycares and schools close, and paycheques stop, people of all ages and backgrounds, may face food insecurities. For those who were already food insecure, the situation may now be worse, a meal, let alone a nutritious meal, may not be accessible.

Women and Children Fleeing Violence

Women and children who experience domestic violence and abuse at home are particularly vulnerable. With many shelters closing, or family and community supports now out of reach, they have fewer options to seek refuge, and being isolated could be very dangerous.

Single parents

As new restrictions are put in place on a daily-basis, single parents may find it increasingly more difficult to navigate these challenging times. Already some grocery stores are asking that babies and children do not enter the store, and parents who have to stop work in order to care for children at home, may not have additional monetary, family or community support to get them the supplies they need.

LGBTQ2I Community

Members of the LGBTQ2I community who already face additional discrimination, violence or exclusion, in their daily lives, may now face worsening conditions. Many may no longer have access to important community connections they have come to rely on, and may feel additionally isolated living alone or in a house where they are not fully accepted. Many may not be able to access the health supports they need.

Canadians needing Medical Treatment

As restricted movement and social distancing measures continue to expand, and as more Canadians fall ill to the virus, access to health care will become more limited.

Already some health care providers have moved to online assessment, making medication and therapy less accessible to vulnerable populations. And as more people fall ill to the virus, health care services people have come to rely on may be deemed non-essential, as health care providers may be forced to change their regular practices to help deal with the virus.

The Elderly

Older people living alone or in an institution, are not only particularly vulnerable to illness, but are isolated now more than ever. Visits from family or friends are no longer allowed, and many do not have access to a phone or computer, or do not understand how to use technology to communicate.

People in Correctional Institutions

People in correctional institutions may now be living under worsening conditions, and with limited rehabilitation supports, positive reintegration into the community may be difficult.

Social distancing and self-isolation may strain family and community supports, and limited access to phones may create further barriers to maintaining healthy connections with family and community.

With anything that disrupts the correctional system, the Indigenous and Black inmates, given their over- representation, will be disproportionately affected. This will also be the case for the high proportion of people in correctional institutions with mental health issues.

https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/eng/content/statement-inequality-amplified-c...

Thanks, it's uplifting to see something that helps people at a time when so much seems to be be going wrong. 

The just released From risk to resilience: An equity approach report by the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada on the State of Public Health in Canada 2020 discusses many of the problems outlined in the above posts and proposes some solutions. I have posted a few of what I consider the most relevant comments of this long, detailed but highly relevant report with a url connection to the full report below. 

Intersectionality and COVID-19

There are overlapping and compounding risks related to sex, gender, racialization, income, housing, employment, and other socioeconomic factors. For example, racialization intersects with employment: in Canada, approximately 41% of meat processing workers are members of racialized groups, compared to 21% of the workforce in general. Elevated risk can also be shaped by the intersection of gender and racialization. For example, the vast majority of staff in nursing and residential care facilities, as well as home care, are women, including the majority of nurses' aides, orderlies and client service associates. From 1996 to 2016, the share of immigrants in these occupations grew more quickly than in all other occupations, from 22% to 36%. Of all Canadian workers in these positions in 2016, 31% were immigrant women and the proportions were higher in larger metropolitan areas such as Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary where over 70% of these positions were filled by immigrants, the majority of these immigrant women. Further, 12% of all workers in these occupations were Black and 11% were Filipino despite Black and Filipino workers only making up 3% of workers in all other occupations.

The impact of stigma, discrimination, violence

In a crowdsourced study on perceptions of safety during the pandemic, Statistics Canada reported that 30% of participants of Chinese descent felt that race-based incidents had increased since the start of the pandemic, compared to 18% among visible minority participants and 6% of non-visible minorities. ...Among those who were concerned about being the target of unwanted behaviours, immigrants were far more likely (42%) to report that they were concerned about stigma based on their racial identity, when compared to the Canadian born population (9%).

Workers in lower-wage jobs

Of the jobs lost in March and April, employees in lower-wage jobs (meaning lower than two-thirds of the 2019 annual median wage of $24.04/hour) suffered the greatest losses (38%) compared to those in other jobs (13%) . At that time, low-wage workers were more likely to be working less than half of their usual hours for COVID-19-related reasons, compared with all other paid employees.

With gradual reopening across Canada through the summer, low-wage jobs have increased. However, in August, the employment rate for low-wage workers remained far lower than pre-pandemic levels (87.4%), compared with all other employees (99.1%, not seasonally adjusted).  ...

Women

Emerging evidence suggests that these types of job losses will disproportionately affect women with small children and families since women are largely represented in the service and retail sectors and in the absence of childcare, they will be unable to return to the workforce. One Canadian study reported that women’s participation in the labour force dropped to its lowest level in 3 decades and 1.5 million women lost their jobs in the first 2 months of the pandemic. ...

Workers who are racialized, immigrant and/or Indigenous

 While the unemployment rate in August, 2020 was 11.1% (not seasonally adjusted), unemployment was much higher among some groups, including populations who identified as Arab (17.9%), Black (17.6%), Southeast Asian (16.6%), and South Asian (14.9%). Southeast Asian (32.0%), Black (24.9%) or Arab (21.4%) employees were more likely to be in low-wage jobs, compared to those who identify as Chinese (17.4%) or those who did not identify as a visible minority or Indigenous (15.9%)....

Youth and post-secondary students

Job loss and decreased job opportunities as a result of the pandemic had an effect on post-secondary students who often rely on summer employment or work during the year as a major source of income. The employment rate for students between 20 and 24 years of age fell from 52.5% in February to 28.9% in April 2020. ...

Housing for all

By demonstrating the role of housing in health and well-being, the pandemic underlined the importance of initiatives that take a broader lens on housing in the context of other health and social needs. ...

Safe and supportive long-term care

The experiences in Canada’s long-term care (LTC) homes have revealed the importance of ongoing changes in this sector. Research into experiences at long-term care homes have identified recommendations to improve safety for residents and employees. These include minimum staffing levels, minimum education standards and continuing education for staff, full-time quality jobs (with workplace protections and benefits such as sick leave) that support workers as well as offer better continuity of care for residents, and improving infection control and prevention training, standards and strategies. Longer-term recommendations to improve LTC for residents and staff have also been identified and include: reviewing and enforcing LTC regulations, integrating healthcare into LTC homes, and supporting leadership and inter-professional teams, and attending to the built environment of LTC homes. ...

Indigenous populations and COVID-19: Examples of leadership, resilience and success

First Nations, Inuit and Métis face social and economic challenges that intersect to increase their risk of contracting COVID-19 and experiencing serious illness. The lasting impacts of intergenerational trauma continue to influence the health of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Social and economic inequities persist, increasing risk related to COVID-19. This includes challenges such as lack of access to medical care, geographic isolation, inadequate and overcrowded housing, as well as low-income and food insecurity. Some communities are unable to comply with public health measures due to overcrowding and lack of a safe water supply, and a number of communities concurrently faced the risk of fire or flood evacuations as well as the pandemic. ...

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/corporate/publications/chief-publ...

There has been a recent spike in Covid-19 cases among First Nations.

The Siksika First Nation in Alberta has closed shools and a homeless shelter following a Covid outbreak. 

Active cases of COVID-19 jumped to 500 from 362 in the last week, according to data from Indigenous Services Canada.

In the last week, 356 new cases have been reported on-reserve with the majority occurring in the Prairies. Cases in Manitoba doubled, while Quebec also saw a spike in cases.

Akwesasne, south of Cornwall, Ont., announced that it is dealing with an outbreak after five cases were reported in the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne's northern jurisdiction and four cases in the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe's southern jurisdiction. ...

As of Nov. 2, there have been a total of 1,610 cases on-reserve in Canada since the pandemic started. Ten additional hospitalizations were reported since last week bringing the total to 83. The death toll remains at 15. The number of First Nations people who have recovered from the disease has reached 1,095. 

In an Oct. 30 update, ISC said the increasing number of cases has been linked to community transmission and to large private and public gatherings in settings where physical distancing and wearing of masks were not observed.

There have been a total of 28 confirmed positive cases in the Nunavik region of Quebec.  All have recovered as of Oct. 30.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/siksika-school-closure-1.5787379

Siksika First Nation is closing all of its schools and its homeless shelter, after COVID-19 cases within the community jumped from zero to more than a dozen in just a few days. 

The First Nation reported five new cases on Sunday and six new cases on Monday, bringing the total cases managed by Siksika Health to 13. Of those, 11 cases are on reserve. 

Last week, there were no active cases. 

More than 7,200 tests have been completed since the beginning of the pandemic on the reserve, which has seen a total of 48 cases.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/siksika-school-closure-1.5787379

Around the world the vast majority of nations have paid little attention to the safety and lives of their prisoners during Covid-19 leading to "infection of at least 102,537 people deprived of their liberty in 88 countries, and at least 1,569 prisoners dying in 36 countries", according to a report from International Penal Reform.  Canada has done a worse job in this area than most other developed countries. 

Canada is one of the countries that has not only failed to take robust action and ensure the protection of those in custody, but also implemented measures that further harmed prisoners. If the federal and provincial governments are committed to closing equity gaps and to advancing public health objectives, it must learn from its failures and do better as we head towards new waves of the pandemic.

Second, the implementation of preventative measures has proven difficult in jurisdictions that did not engage in sufficient depopulation. Social distancing has generally not been possible. In federal prisons, communal eating, food serving and group activities have not been suspended in all institutions. Incarcerated people were not given masks and not all officers have worn personal protective equipment when engaging with prisoners.

The Office of the Correctional Investigator reported that while CSC has worked towards hiring more healthcare personnel, there was still such a shortage that, for example, one institution dealing with an outbreak had only two nurses available (one more than pre-pandemic) and one part-time physician for nearly 200 people. While there is limited information emerging from provincial institutions, reports indicate that at least some provincial prison systems failed to follow public health guidelines in their institutions.

Third, isolation was a common response to the pandemic, despite international organizations’ warning that segregation and lockdowns are not sufficient to prevent spread and may have devastating mental health consequences on prisoners. Provinces like Quebec and Ontario have engaged in holding people in their cells for 24 hours daily.

The government has already failed many times in addressing the issue of segregation outside of the international spotlight when a pandemic was not looming.

In the federal institutions where there were active outbreaks, even individuals who were not presumed infected were held for up to 24 hours in their cells. When permitted to go outside their cell for 20 minutes each day, they had to choose whether they would call their family, their lawyer or take a shower. In institutions with no presumptive COVID-19 cases, individuals were allowed outside between two to four hours daily. Thus, at times, this regime has been in breach of international norms and human rights, according to which prolonged isolation (more than 14 days of being locked up for 22 hours or longer in a cell) and indefinite isolation (without a clear end) constitute torture. This should come as no surprise. The government has already failed many times in addressing the issue of segregation outside of the international spotlight when a pandemic was not looming. Most recently, the 2019 changes the federal government has made to its solitary confinement regime is seen by many as “window dressing.”

These failures led to serious consequences. In Canada, there were outbreaks in five federal prisons. In May 2020, the rate of infection in federal prisons was over 13 times higher than in the community. Two deaths were reported. Federally incarcerated women have been the most affected by the infection. The rate of infection in women’s penitentiaries was 77 times higher than among women in the community. Provincially, there have been outbreaks in Ontario and Quebec prisons, with a significant number of people being infected and one death reported.

rom a public health perspective, this failure has devastating downstream consequences. First, allowing hot spots of infection to grow impedes the successful flattening of the curve and prolongs the life of the pandemic in the community. Second, incarcerated people are more likely to have severe complications from COVID-19 due to a higher than average prevalence of pre-existing conditions, which in turn will be taxing on the healthcare systems. Third, the measures taken, in particular lockdowns and lack of communication with families, negatively affects the mental health of incarcerated individuals, increasing the chances of substance overdose and the frequency of self-harm incidents. This could bring about increased unrest in prisons, stretch healthcare resources, and will generally have harmful effects on prisoner health. Finally, COVID-19 may have severe and long-lasting consequences on health, especially for those at higher risk. Therefore, there are heightened concerns regarding the higher rates of infection in people who will ultimately return to marginalized communities in a more fragile state of health than when they entered prison.

The measures taken, in particular lockdowns and lack of communication with families, negatively affects the mental health of incarcerated individuals, increasing the chances of substance overdose and the frequency of self-harm incidents.

For those conducting prison work, the impact of COVID-19 on prison populations and the refusal of some governments to take meaningful measures to protect them come as no surprise. These are the by-products of the pre-COVID-19 shortcomings of the correctional systems and of the broader criminal and social justice practices that have perpetuated equity gaps in the society, including overreliance on incarceration, inadequate healthcare, and the general disregard for prisoner well being and prisoner rights.

Social and health inequities have long been feeding the prison systems. In turn, prisons are now cracking under the pressure of the pandemic, and the spill-outs impact all of society. The current crisis has shown how connected prison and social justice issues are to public health. Returning to normal should not be an option; instead, sweeping reforms that ensure Canada’s (and other countries’) ability to equitably protect everyone in the case of a public health crisis are needed.

Some of the much-needed long-term reforms that are intrinsically connected to imprisonment and well-being of criminalized people include universal basic income, better healthcare, better child support and other community supports for marginalized people, as well as sentencing reforms (such as the abolition of mandatory minimum sentences) that will effectively reduce the overreliance on incarceration and increase diversion and community sentences.

https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/september-2020/governments-have...

Canadian prisoners warn that the Covid-19 crisis is getting worse in both federal and provincial facilities. 

 Inmates across Canada are speaking out as COVID-19 infections spread within federal and provincial correctional facilities, with prisoner advocates saying the situation is only getting worse.

Corey Watson, an inmate at the Joyce Institution in Kingston, Ont., who tested positive for the novel coronavirus last month, told CTVNews.ca in a video interview that he and others are “basically just waiting for everyone to get it ... You feel powerless.”

As of Jan. 3, there were 268 active cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Canada’s federal prisons, according to Correctional Service Canada. Of those active cases, 110 were in Saskatchewan Penitentiary near Prince Albert, 62 cases in Stony Mountain Institution near Winnipeg and 66 in Joyceville -- which declared an outbreak on Dec. 17. ...

Watson and his fellow inmates at Joyceville said the virus has spread through the prison like a wildfire, and place the blame on Correctional Service Canada, which is responsible for federal institutions, prison administrators and correctional officers. He wants them to do better because he feels inmates’ lives are “in their hands.”

Another Joyceville inmate, John Whalen, told CTVNews.ca in a separate video interview that he feels relentless dread, only leaving his cell to shower.

“It’s pretty terrifying at the end of the day if I’m going to make it out... and I know if I do catch COVID, they’re not going to do anything to help me,” he said, adding that inmates like him, who have notices for early medical release, aren’t being fast-tracked out.

Tara Baker, Whalen’s wife and the mother of his 17-month-old baby, said the constant uncertainty surrounding his safety is “not something I’d wish upon anyone.”

Inmates in Joyceville, like Whalen and Watson, allege that they have no regular access to masks, hand sanitizer or gloves; infected people live in the same cell ranges as healthy inmates; and that guards inconsistently wear masks. They also allege scheduled releases and parole hearings for some have been pushed back indefinitely. According to inmates, correctional officers even punish those who make their own face coverings from bed sheets and tear down inmates’ makeshift physical distancing barriers.

Last month, inmates in Joyceville released a public letter through the Toronto Prisoners’ Rights Project, alleging these and other widespread issues. “We’re consistently being told we’re safer in prison, yet now it’s clear that this isn’t actually the case and there appears to be no plan,” the letter said. “We’re in a prison with COVID. It can’t get much worse for us.”

Rajean Hoilett, an organizer of the Toronto Prisoners’ Rights Project who regularly speaks with inmates and their families, relayed what he was told by an inmate who recently tested positive for COVID-19.

Hoilett alleges a nurse told this inmate: “You made bad choices and that’s why you ended up in jail -- that’s why you have COVID.” Hoilett said it likely wasn’t a one-off incident, saying, “this is the kind of medical treatment that folks are being subjected to. It is hard to be able to hear these stories.”

CTVNews.ca sent a list of inmates’ allegations to Correctional Service Canada (CSC), which is responsible for Joyceville, asking whether inmates’ concerns would be investigated. CSC Senior Communications Advisor Isabelle Robitaille responded to the question by saying the “CSC has not received an official complaint regarding COVID-19 prevention and management measures or improper actions of an employee at Joyceville Institution.” ...

Hoilett and other prisoners’ rights advocates say complaints from Joyceville inmates were similar to ones in the provincially-run Toronto South Detention Centre, the site of a COVID-19 outbreak that was also reported last month. There are 16 reported positive COVID-19 cases there, down from an initial 54 cases, according to figures from the Ministry of the Solicitor General of Ontario.

Inmates and advocacy groups such as The Toronto Prisoners’ Rights Project and Think 2wice, a project focused on crime prevention and rehabilitation, allege guards and administrators in Toronto South aren’t following Ontario’s purported guidelines.

“On every different [cell] range, inmates have the same complaints. The disregard for life, the inhuman treatment, to me, is outrageous,” Zya Brown, Think 2wice’s founder and director, told CTVNews.ca in a video interview. “We have the power. We’re the taxpayers. We need to hold them accountable.”

Her group, which speaks directly with inmates in Toronto South and their families, alleges that:

•  inmates aren’t being separated from those infected with the virus and aren’t being given masks or COVID-19 tests en masse;
•  excessive reliance on lockdowns, a procedure similar to solitary confinement in which inmates can’t leave their cells for most of the day,
•  a lack of access to regular showers, with some inmates only bathing once every two weeks; and,
•  officers not consistently wearing masks, nor swapping out their personal protective equipment in between individual cell checks.

Brown said the COVID-19 outbreak there and excessive lockdowns prompted approximately 30 men to go on hunger strike last month until conditions change. This is at least the eighth strike during the pandemic that the Toronto South inmates have held. She said their situation is “personal for me,” as she currently has a loved one in Toronto South. ...

But none of this had to happen, advocates say. Throughout the pandemic, Correctional Service Canada has faced strong criticism for being caught flat-footed when it comes to enforcing COVID-19 precautions consistently.

Since the pandemic started, “things have gotten worse” and are on track to continue, Justin Piché, a criminology professor at the University of Ottawa, told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview.

“During the start of the pandemic, so mid-March to mid-July, there were 600 prisoners that had tested positive for COVID-19 across Canada and 229 staff members. In the past two months, we have seen well over a 1,000 reported cases,” said Piché, an organizer for Criminalization and Punishment Education Project who's been tracking the biggest outbreaks of federal and provincial institutions throughout the pandemic.

Toronto Prisoners’ Rights Project organizer Hoilett called the outbreaks in federal and provincial institutions “inevitable.” He said “a lot of us were really hoping that we’d be proven wrong.”

Hoilett said Toronto South and other remand institutions -- which house people awaiting trial, but can’t secure bail – missed a huge opportunity by not easing up enough on bail requirements.

Six out of 10 inmates in all provincial and territorial correctional institutions are in this category, according to recent Statistics Canada data, with 35 per cent of that group’s criminal charges never resulting in a guilty verdict, the BC Civil Liberties Association found.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/inmates-fear-leaving-in-a-body...

Back in May the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents more than 60,000 frontline healthcare workers in Ontario, called for a public inquiry and criminal investigations into long-term care deaths among residents and workers. It is sad to see that so little to see that so little has been done for these expendable, oops 'essential' workers, in healthcare, meat packing plants where the first criminal investigation was just started due to a complaint from a dead Cargill worker (see last post), as well as among all other marginal people, including those in prison.

SEIU Healthcare, the union that represents over 60,000 frontline healthcare workers in Ontario, is calling for public inquiries and criminal investigations into COVID-19 related deaths in long-term care to keep people alive and determine accountability.

First, we're calling on Premier Ford's government to immediately commission a public inquiry, pursuant to section 3 of the Public Inquiries Act, to investigate the deaths of residents and frontline workers at Ontario's long-term care homes. 

Second, we're calling on the Toronto and Peel Regional Police to initiate investigations for criminal negligence at a number of long-term care and homecare providers involving the death of staff.

Third, we're similarly calling on the Office of the Chief Coroner to use their authorities to inquire into these deaths.

On Friday, May 1st, our union lost a long-time personal support worker (PSW) who passed away after testing positive for COVID-19. She was the third avoidable death of a PSW in as many weeks. ...

A commission is urgently required because until we have a vaccine, or at a minimum, treatment available for the entire population, we must prepare now for consecutive spikes or waves of COVID-19.

Both frontline workers and the elderly in our long-term care system are saying the same thing: keep us alive.

That's why we're calling for urgent investigations that will keep people alive and hold negligent operators responsible for the death of our healthcare heroes.

SEIU Healthcare represents more than 60,000 healthcare and community service workers across Ontario. The union's members work in hospitals, homecare, nursing and retirement homes, and community services throughout the province. www.seiuhealthcare.ca

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/seiu-healthcare-calls-for-public-i...

Covid is hitting the Canadian prison system hard with severe consequences for the prisoners and staff confined in such tight spaces. One example is Maplehurst jail in Milton, Ontario, which is run by the Ford government. The correctional officers local union president has asked that all new admissions and court appearances be halted because the situation is so bad. 

The Maplehurst Correctional Complex in Milton, Ont. is under lockdown as it works to curb a fast-spreading outbreak of COVID-19 that's infected 89 inmates and staff.

As of Friday evening, there are 68 active cases of the novel coronavirus among inmates and another 21 cases among staff, according to Ontario's Ministry of the Solicitor General. 

That's an increase of 20 cases in just one day, up from 69 cases on Thursday. ...

Peter Figliola, president of the OPSEU Local 234, the union representing correctional officers at the Milton jail, told CBC News he'd like to see all new admissions and court appearances stopped completely until the outbreak is under control.  ...

"I am sure all staff within the facility have some fear and a great deal of concern. They are walking into an identified outbreak and doing so with the best intentions in keeping the community safe," Figliola said. ...

Meanwhile, Figliola says correctional officers continue their work "and do so knowing the identified danger that awaits them on the other side of the wall. We've always said from day one that once the virus entered any provincial facility, it would be extremely hard to combat and control."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-jail-coronavirus-maplehur...

The Covid crisis continues in indigenous communities, including the refusal of some hospitals near reserves to offer care to some indigenous people. 

As Canada marks a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Indigenous communities are battling twin crises – the coronavirus and systemic social and racial inequalities.

As of Jan. 21, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) was aware of 14,488 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases on First Nations reserves.

More than 5,300 are active cases, with 618 hospitalizations, 8,991 recoveries and 129 deaths.

Breaking down the case numbers by region, British Columbia has 1,427 cases, Alberta 4,692 cases, Saskatchewan 3,625 cases, Manitoba 3,805 cases, Ontario 445 cases, Quebec, 482 cases and the Atlantic province First Nation reserves have 8 cases.

In response to the climbing case numbers, Federal Safety Minister Bill Blair announced on Twitter that the Canadian Armed Forces will be deployed to support vaccine distribution in 32 communities in Nishnawbe Aski Nations in Ontario. ...

The rate of reported cases of COVID-19 in First Nations living on reserve is 40 per cent higher than the rate in the general Canadian population. The COVID-19 case fatality rate among First Nations living on reserve is approximately one-third of the case fatality rate of the general Canadian population.

The systemic health, racial and social inequalities Indigenous communities were facing before COVID-19 has only been magnified during the pandemic – Indigenous people face higher prevalence of arthritis, diabetes, obesity and asthma, all of which factor as comorbidities with COVID-19, placing them at high risk. There are 58 communities under a boil water advisory across the country, and many living on reserve do not have access to consistent health care, adequate housing or dependable social services. 

“The biggest challenge is, you hear over and over again the lack of housing, with big families in homes, if somebody tests positive, it’s very hard to isolate. Another challenge is if the parents test positive and the children are negative, how do we separate the families?” Cook said.

James Makokis, a two-spirit Saddle Lake Cree Nation doctor working in Edmonton, highlighted how the “lack of connectivity” was also a major factor in Indigenous communities. “Lack of cell reception and lack of communication has been a detriment to many Indigenous communities,” Makokis said. “As doctors are forced to do more virtual care for patients, those communities that have been more isolated and have no cell reception have had challenges in being able to receive care. ... It’s unfortunate that in the time of a crisis these things happen quite quickly,” Makokis said. “Because in our regular lives we’re continually having crises of overcrowding, decreased water, poor sanitation, food insecurity, the overabundance of chronic disease and now infectious disease.”

Amnesty International has reported that the Canadian government’s services for Indigenous communities “often fall far short of what is needed,” and the organization has “long been concerned about violations of the human rights of First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples in Canada.”

Both doctors agree that another systemic issue now brought to the forefront is racism against Indigenous communities and peoples. “One of the biggest things COVID-19 is bringing out, is the racism within the healthcare system… Indigenous people have had to deal with racism since the healthcare system started,” Cook said. “But it’s really been brought out during COVID-19.” ...

“The stories that are coming from those doctors when it comes to COVID-19, and the racism that people are seeing… some nations that are close to small town hospitals are being refused care,” she said.

In B.C., of more than 2,700 Indigenous people surveyed as part of the “In Plain Sight” investigative report released in November 2020 by former judge Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, 84 per cent reported experiencing some form of health-care discrimination.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/a-year-later-indigenous-commun...

A fourth person has died due to Covid at an Alberta meat processing plant that has had more than 500 cases of Covid infections, once again illustrating how 'essential' workers means 'expendable' worker. Three deaths involve workers, but the government won't even reveal how the fourth person's death is linked to the outbreak.  One of the few things keeping the death toll from being higher is the fact that many of these workers are usually much younger than those in homes for seniors. The union local has demanded that 20 items be dealt with before the plant re-opens as was proposed by management for March 3rd-4th.

A third worker has died after a COVID-19 outbreak at a central Alberta pork-processing plant, raising the total number of deaths linked to the outbreak to four, the union representing the plant's employees has confirmed.

"Our investigation has revealed that a third worker from the Olymel Red Deer plant has died," said UFCW 401 President Thomas Hesse on Wednesday. The worker has not yet been publicly identified. ...

The Olymel outbreak, first declared on Nov. 17, 2020, has been linked to at least 500 cases, and led to the temporary closure of the plant on Feb. 15.

The first death, on Jan. 28, was of Darwin Doloque, a 35-year-old permanent resident who immigrated to Canada from the Philippines and was found dead in his home.

His death was followed on Feb. 24 by that of Henry De Leon, a 50-year-old who immigrated from the Dominican Republic and had worked at the plant for 15 years. He left behind a wife, two adult children and three grandchildren.

The third death linked to the outbreak was a woman in her 60s who has not been publicly identified. It has not been disclosed how she was linked to the outbreak.

The outbreak at the Olymel plant is now deadlier than the outbreak at the Cargill meat-processing plant near High River, Alta., the site of the largest COVID-19 outbreak in Canada.

The Cargill outbreak was linked to three fatalities and at least 1,500 cases. ...

Earlier this week, Hesse called for the Red Deer plant's potential March 3 reopening to be delayed, saying in an open letter that employees do not feel safe after a deadly outbreak of COVID-19. 

It listed more than 20 "action items" it said should be fulfilled before reopening is considered, in order to regain the confidence of employees and ensure their safety.

The letter came after plant manager Rob Ackerblade informed employees on Feb. 28 that if a March 1 inspection by Alberta Health Services (AHS) and Occupational Health and Safety was successful, gradual reopening dates for the Olymel plant could be March 3 for the slaughterhouse and March 4 for the cutting room.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/red-deer-alberta-slaughterhouse-p...

Women are another group that have borne the brunt the Covid she-cession to a much greater extent:

In March 2020, Armine Yalnizyan began to point out that this recession was different from the recessions of the past because it was a "she-cession" not a "he-cession." What she noticed was this time the female-dominated sectors suffered most from the forced economic downturn. Women comprised the majority of people losing their jobs.

In past recessions, men lost their jobs at a greater rate than women. When recovery happened, women then joined the workforce in greater numbers.

This time, CIBC Economics, using Statistics Canada data, has shown that all the jobs lost in 2020 were among workers who earned below-average wages. The report also shows that high-wage earners gained almost 350,000 jobs in 2020.

Those numbers tell us that we must target the recovery from the pandemic to help those who have experienced the greatest effect, the poor and women.

Here are some ways to get involved in making the systemic changes which will build a recovery for all of us:

• There is a lot of talk about women-centred workplaces. In order to address the danger of further increasing the gender gap, we need guaranteed sick days, family leave and work flexibility for all. We also need to ensure access to protective equipment and workplace protections for everyone. Please work with feministrecovery.ca and other similar organizations to demand workplace changes.
• If we want to address domestic violence, we must understand the role of safe, affordable and permanent housing in providing a long-term solution for addressing vulnerability among women, girls, and gender-diverse people. Before the pandemic, women, girls and gender-diverse people were more likely to be among the "hidden homeless." Due to the spike in reported cases of domestic violence, there has been an increase in funding for emergency spaces and shelter space in Canada. These are important short-term solutions. However, when these solutions are exhausted, too often women are forced to return to dangerous living conditions. We need policy tools, such as a national housing benefit, developed and implemented with an eye to ensuring it meets the needs of women, girls, and gender-diverse peoples. Work with activists who are advocating for long-term, systemic ways to address gender violence and housing.
• This pandemic has changed what safe schools mean for many of us. We need better ventilation and similar upgrades to schools to be a priority. We need to partner with advocates in every province to make sure that in the long term we are working on investing in our schools rather than gutting them for short-sighted savings. This article lists organizations in provinces which are working improve our schools. We also need to work onchild-care solutions which meet our needs if lockdowns and quarantine continue. We need affordable, quality child care, not just inadequate tax credits from the government.
• One of our biggest failures as a country during this pandemic has been in our inability to protect seniors. rabble.ca was among the first publications to sound the alarm about the dangers of the for-profit senior-care system in Canada. Women are 90 per cent of paid staff in long-term care. They must be part of the discussion about changing this sector. 

These are just some of the long-term changes that a feminist recovery will require. We need to make sure that this important opportunity to meet our needs as a society is not reduced to a catchy meme.

https://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/views-expressed/2021/03/hunger-strikes-...

While teachers and other educational workers are usually not considered marginalized workers, they are marginalized like other essential (expendable, in other words) workers when it comes to Covid, and, like all essential workers, should be immediately vaccinated, now that most of the elderly who are most at risk have already received their shots. The following podcast url discusses the risks teachers face from Covid. 

Teachers and other education workers will not be safe until they are vaccinated. Five unions have come together to demand immediate action from the Ontario government. Comments by Harvey Bischof, President (Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation), Liz Stuart, President (Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association), Anne Vinet-Roy, présidente/President (Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens), and Laura Walton, President, CUPE's Ontario School Board Council of Unions.

https://rabble.ca/podcasts/shows/radiolabour/2021/04/stop-education-work...

Migrant farm workers in two counties in Ontario are being discriminated against and suffering from racism by being refused " “limited and monitored outdoor time” as long as they wear a mask and have no symptoms of COVID-19." according to federal rules for international travellers, just another sign that they are part of Canada's underclass. Even prisoners have more rights.  Since the counties have forbidden farm workers from being housed in bunkhouses on farms, the farmers have put them in hotels rather than spend the money for single occupant rooms. But only Haldimand and Norfolk counties are doing this.

This isn't working as the number of infections is outpacing the rate that occurred last year over the same period and the migrant worker season has barely begun. 

[Trinidadian Jeremiah] Sovigno is among thousands of workers who will arrive to work on farms in Haldimand and Norfolk counties this season. But many of his fellow migrant workers say they are enduring quarantine conditions that advocates are calling cruel and inhumane.

Migrant workers in these two counties are being treated differently than how Canada treats other international travellers. Under federal rules, travellers arriving from abroad are allowed “limited and monitored outdoor time” as long as they wear a mask and have no symptoms of COVID-19.

Since March, at least five migrant workers have died since arriving in Canada, including four who were in quarantine, according to the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, an advocacy group calling for an investigation to determine the causes of the deaths.

The alliance and other advocates say there is blatant discrimination and racism in how workers in Haldimand and Norfolk are being treated and that their basic human rights are being violated.

“Denying migrant workers access to fresh air during quarantine is inhumane. It’s simply abusive,” says Fay Faraday, a labour and human rights lawyer who has worked with migrant workers for 30 years. “All human beings need access to fresh air for their physical and mental well-being and to be locked in a hotel room with windows that don’t open for 14 days with no ability to go outside is cruel and unusual punishment.”

Global News has identified at least four hotels that have housed quarantining migrant farm workers in Brantford, among a number of southern Ontario towns where workers have self-isolated. Three of them have no balconies, nor do they have windows that open.

He says no one has explained why they are not allowed to go outside for fresh air. ...

At the start of the pandemic, the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit set limits on the number of workers allowed to quarantine in bunkhouses on farms due to living quarters that make it difficult to maintain physical distancing. This has forced most workers at 208 farms in the district to quarantine in hotels for the two-week period.

But the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit is the only one in the region that has implemented a rule denying fresh air breaks during quarantine. Other neighbouring counties also bring in a large number of migrant workers without imposing similar restrictions.

The chief medical officer who introduced the rule, Dr. Shanker Nesathurai, declined to give Global News an interview about his decision. ...

Between January and April, a total of 410 seasonal agricultural workers arrived to work on farms in Haldimand-Norfolk, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. That number will continue to rise, as April and May bring in the most arrivals, the department said in a statement. ...

The local health unit estimates 4,000 migrant farm workers in total are destined for farms in Norfolk and Haldimand counties this year. ...

For many workers, this might not be the last time they have to go through a two-week quarantine period with no access to fresh air. If the farm they work at experiences an outbreak, they will have to go through it all over again.

Kevin Daniels, a seasonal worker who’s been coming to Canada for nine years, says he has had trouble sleeping since spending 14 days inside a hotel room last November. He went into quarantine after the farm he worked on experienced a COVID-19 outbreak. He was among 87 of his colleagues who were forced to quarantine after 13 workers tested positive for the virus, according to Arnal.

“The internet system was poor so you cannot connect with family members,” he says. “It was the first time experiencing winter and then you had to be locked up in a room, couldn’t go outside, exercise, anything. You’re locked up in a room that hasn’t been cleaned in 14 days, the food is horrible, and now I have a serious sleeping condition from November until now.” ...

According to Ontario’s plan to prevent and manage outbreaks on farms released last November, migrant farm workers “did not bring the virus to Ontario but rather contracted it after they arrived.” It cited the housing accommodations provided to workers and an inability to social distance that drove the spread of the virus in the region last year, not workers coming in from abroad. ...

It is up to employers to provide workers with accommodations, food and other necessary supplies during workers’ quarantine. Both the Ontario and federal governments have provided financial support to farmers to help offset costs. The federal government offers employers $1,500 per worker to cover costs related to the mandatory 14-day isolation period. Employers can also apply for additional funding “for improvements to employee living quarters, temporary or emergency housing, personal protective equipment (PPE), and other health and safety measures.” ...

Despite having a year to respond and improve conditions for seasonal workers arriving, migrant rights advocates say the federal government has again put workers in harm’s way. “The fact that they haven’t figured out how to ensure that this is a humane process shows where their priorities are and the priorities are not ensuring the well-being of the essential workers,” says Faraday.

“The federal government, despite us raising this cry now for 15 months, has refused to enact specific guidelines around how quarantine is structured, including the right to fresh air,” says Syed Hussan, executive director of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change. “They’ve consistently issued suggestions which are not enforceable, not by migrants and not by anybody else.” The organization is calling on the federal government to put in place enforceable guidelines around mobility, adequate and culturally appropriate meals, access to phones, health care and support “to ensure workers have access to basic rights and protections.”

In addition to isolating for two weeks, workers undergo multiple COVID-19 tests before and after arriving in Canada. Workers must test negative before getting on the plane. They are then tested upon arrival, 72 hours later, and then again eight days later. Workers must test negative in order to leave quarantine and go to a farm to work. They are also offered the COVID-19 vaccine upon arrival at the airport, but are still required to quarantine for two weeks.

Hussan says the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change has heard accounts of migrant workers being denied fresh air across the country, despite public health guidelines.

“This is a result of federal inaction and the public health unit. Haldimand-Norfolk is in no way an exception. The buck stops with Prime Minister Trudeau’s door,” says Hussan. “The fact that people are feeling that they are being treated worse than animals is because they don’t have the power to speak up and that power is being taken away from them because they are temporary. That’s why we have been calling on the federal government to ensure full and permanent immigration status for every migrant and undocumented person in the country.” ...

Last year, between March 2020 and Dec. 31, there were 3,232 COVID-19 outbreaks on farms or at food processing workplaces in Ontario. This year, there have already been 2,486 outbreaks in just four months, according to provincial data. “We are talking about huge numbers that continue to grow,” says Hussan. “And the season has barely begun.”

This year, there have been 30 farm outbreaks in Haldimand and Norfolk counties, according to the health unit.

https://globalnews.ca/news/7862350/ontario-county-migrant-farm-workers-f...