COVID-19 Updates
ISSofBC GAR Bulletin – January 1 – March 31, 2020
April 13, 2020
CCR Youth Network: Covid-19 Impacts on Newcomer & Refugee Youth
May 26, 2020
The BC Refugee Hub will be curating information about COVID-19 relating to refugees and refugee claimants in British Columbia. This webpage will be updated regularly as more information becomes available.
Originally Posted – March 20, 2020
(Last Updated – September 26, 2021)
Resources:
Burnaby Division of Family Practice & MOSAIC – Health Navigator Tool: The Burnaby Division of Family Practice has partnered with MOSAIC, on a program that links recent immigrants and refugees who don’t speak English or don’t have access to computers or the internet to medically trained staff and volunteers who can help them navigate the city’s online COVID-19 screening portal.
Surrey-North Delta Division of Family Practice COVID-19 Health Promotion Phone Lines: The phone lines will answer general questions in multiple languages. Clients can call with any general, non-medical questions about COVID-19, including: what measures to take and how the community can provide support.
Click here to download poster.
The Province of British Columbia has dedicated phone service that provides non-medical information about COVID-19 in 110 languages. Service representatives can be reached seven days a week, from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., by calling 1-888-COVID19 / 1-888-268-4319.
AMSSA – Webpage launched with COVID-19 Updates and Resources. AMSSA is the Umbrella Organization for all settlement and integration service provider organizations in BC.
- Government Response to COVID-19: A Breakdown of Federal and Provincial Subsidies
- Novel Coronavirus Factsheet
Government of Canada – Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan
- The Government of Canada is taking immediate, significant and decisive action to help Canadians facing hardship as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. This webpage outlines this plan for supporting individuals and businesses.
Province of BC – Ministry of Education has developed frequently asked questions (FAQ) and will continue to update them on Continuity of Learning in the K-12 Education System (PDF).
Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) – Q&A on COVID-19 related issues
ISSofBC – COVID-19 Updates and Resources, includes:
- What to do if you were assessed for COVID-19 or need to self-isolate – with handouts in 22-24 languages produced by the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP)
- What to do if you might have COVID-19 – with information in a variety of languages
- How to self-isolate – with information in a variety of languages
Greater Vancouver Food Bank – COVID-19 updates to schedules and distribution sites during.
- Due to the COVID-19 health crisis, we have seen the closure of all of our food distribution locations. We have been able to secure some new locations, and have created a new schedule that is operationally sustainable at this time. We will be providing a total of four food distribution locations, one in each city we support (Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster and the North Shore).
- COVID-19 Adapted Distribution Locations and Schedule Effective Tuesday, April 1, 2020
Province of BC – COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool: This self-assessment tool, developed with the BC Ministry of Health, will help determine whether you may need further assessment or testing for COVID-19. You can complete this assessment for yourself, or on behalf of someone else, if they are unable to.
Province of BC – COVID-19 Provincial Support and Information: Informational webpage with resources on:
- What you must do
- Child care
- Education
- Employment
- Businesses
- Housing and Tenancy
- Transportation
- Travel and Tourism
- Mental Health
- Being Prepared
- MSP
BC Centre for Disease Control: Information and resources on COVID-19, how to protect yourself, your family and your community and what to do if you suspect you have the virus.
- Traditional Chinese (PDF) – 新型冠狀病毒常見問題-中文
- Punjabi (PDF) –
-
Farsi (PDF) – (COVID-19) سوالات متداول درباره ویروس کرونای جدید
- English (PDF)
Video questions and answers
UNHCR Canada – Key information for asylum seekers
Announcements:
Province of British Columbia:
Province of BC (March 23, 2020) – COVID-19 Action Plan: B.C.’s first steps to support people, businesses
Municipal Affairs and Housing – Supporting renters, landlords during COVID-19 (Punjabi, French translations available)
The Province is implementing a number of additional measures to keep people housed and protect their health. The full list of immediate measures includes:
- The new temporary rent supplement will provide up to $500 per month, paid directly to landlords.
- Halting evictions by ensuring a landlord may not issue a new notice to end tenancy for any reason. However, in exceptional cases where it may be needed to protect health and safety or to prevent undue damage to the property, landlords will be able to apply to the Residential Tenancy Branch for a hearing.
- Halting the enforcement of existing eviction notices issued by the Residential Tenancy Branch, except in extreme cases where there are safety concerns. The smaller number of court ordered evictions are up to the courts, which operate independently of government.
- Freezing new annual rent increases during the state of emergency.
- Preventing landlords from accessing rental units without the consent of the tenant (for example, for showings or routine maintenance), except in exceptional cases where it is needed to protect health and safety or to prevent undue damage to the unit.
- Restricting methods that renters and landlords can use to serve notices to reduce the potential transmission of COVID-19 (no personal service and allowing email).
- Allowing landlords to restrict the use of common areas by tenants or guests to protect against the transmission of COVID-19.
Ministry of Education – Safe and Healthy Schools
This webpage includes announcements from the Ministry of Education for parents and guardian and helps answer questions about continuity of learning while K-12 schools are suspended to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It will be updated regularly, so you have a trusted source of information.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada:
IRCC – How COVID-19 is affecting business at IRCC.
This webpage has an FAQ on how COVID-19 is impacting travel for IRCC clients. Items related to refugees and refugees claimants include the following:
- What is the impact on refugees and asylum claimants?
- On March 17, 2020, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) announced that they, along with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), are temporarily suspending resettlement travel for refugees. Canada relies on referrals from the UNHCR, other designated referral organizations and private sponsorship groups to identify refugees in need of resettlement. The IOM and the UNHCR will make alternative arrangements for those refugees currently in transit and who are no longer able to continue their journey to Canada at this time. We continue to accept asylum claimants in Canada, consistent with our international human rights obligations. On March 20, 2020, Canada and the US also announced collaborative and reciprocal measures where we will now be returning irregular migrants who attempt to cross anywhere at the Canada–US border, including those who attempt to make an asylum claim at a land POE.
- Are you suspending immigration loan payments for refugees?
- IRCC has decided to suspend its immigrant loan collection activities for a period of 6 months, until September 2020. Clients who have questions about their loan, or who wish to make alternative arrangements for payments during this period, can contact IRCC at 1-800-667-7301.
IRCC – COVID-19 Temporary Emergency Measures for Refugee Claims
For non-medical information relating to COVID-19, call 1 888 COVID-19
IRCC – Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Program delivery instructions
These program delivery instructions inform IRCC and Canada Border Services Agency staff on the procedures that are affected by the disruption of services associated with impacts of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for new and existing
- temporary residence, permanent residence and citizenship applications in Canada and abroad
- asylum claims in Canada
IRCC – Special measures to help temporary and permanent residents and applicants affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID‑19): Keep checking this page for up-to-date information on special measures put in place by IRCC to help temporary and permanent residents and applicants affected by COVID-19
- We’re cancelling all refugee claimant appointments until April 13, 2020. If you had an appointment, we’ll contact you to let you know when your new appointment will be.
- We’re cancelling all in-person permanent resident landing appointments until April 13, 2020. If you had a landing appointment already booked, it will be held by telephone at a new date.
- As previously mentioned, we are also cancelling all citizenship ceremonies and citizenship tests as of March 14 until further notice.
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada:
IRB – Practice Notice (April 8, 2020): Special measures due to Covid-19.
(IRB) – Closures and Updates: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) front offices are closed. Effective immediately, in-person correspondence (hand-delivery) is no longer accepted.
IRB: Claimants, appellants and representatives please note that the following COVID-related measures are now in place, to grant temporary extensions as outlined in the practice notices for filing a:
IRB – Advisory Notice – COVID-19 (March 20, 2020): The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) continues to actively monitor developments related to COVID-19. Further to the IRB’s Advisory Notice published on March 14th, 2020, and as a result of the evolving situation relating to COVID-19, this is to advise that the IRB is extending the suspension of all in-person hearings and mediations, other than detention reviews, until at least Monday, May 4th. Postponed hearings and mediations will be rescheduled promptly. The IRB will continue to monitor this and updates will be provided as needed. In addition, the IRB is examining other possible measures, beyond those recently introduced, to provide increased flexibility concerning the requirements of the various IRB rules, once hearings resume. Further information will be provided shortly. The IRB is committed to both protecting the health and well-being of its staff and those who appear before the Board and continuing to ensure access to justice to the extent possible under these exceptional circumstances.
Government of Canada:
Important changes to tax-filing and payment deadlines (March 20, 2020) – Tax-filing and payment deadlines – The Agency has updated messaging on the payment deadlines for individuals and businesses, and has extended the deadline for charities.
BC Health Coalition:
MSP coverage expanding to all uninsured people for COVID-19 testing and treatment (March 30, 2020)
Info-sheets / Bulletins:
RSTP – COVID-19 Resources for Sponsors & Newcomers: Info-sheet with links to multi-language resources and factsheets on COVID-19 that can be shared with refugee sponsors and refugees sponsored under the Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR), the Blended Visa Office Referred (BVOR), the Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) and the Government Assisted Refugees (GAR) programs that have already arrived in Canada.
MAP Bulletins: MAP provides regular bulletins relating to refugee claimants in the Lower Mainland for service providers – includes information on settlement agency and community organization office closures:
UNHCR – Key Legal Considerations on access to territory for persons in need of international protection in the context of the COVID-19 response: This paper sets out key legal considerations, based on international refugee and human rights law, on access to territory for persons seeking international protection in the context of measures taken by States to restrict the entry of non-nationals for the protection of public health in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 Community Information Exchange: Refugee 613 is an agile and innovative communications hub that informs, connects and inspires people to welcome refugees and build strong communities. The COVID-19 Community Information Exchange is intended to make it easier to find information about COVID-19 specifically useful to newcomers, and to work together to develop and translate new material. The Community Information Exchange includes a Facebook group, and this Google drive where you can search, upload or download resources. Check out their growing list of COVID-related resources for newcomers. The list is organized by languages, themes, format, and source.
