Charities that normally collect donations of clothing and textiles are urging Canadians who are decluttering during the COVID-19 pandemic to stop dropping off items at donation bins.

Charities such as Diabetes Canada and Goodwill stopped accepting donations across the country in late March, including in Ontario after the provincial government closed all non-essential services.

With the charities closed, there are no workers available to pick up donations from either homes or donation bins. For example, Diabetes Canada has temporarily laid off more than 500 staff who manage its donation bins.

However, people continue to drop off donations at the bins — although signs on the bins clearly ask them not to.

Even worse, some people are now also using the bins as a location to dump their garbage and other unwanted items.

“This is posing a serious health and safety issue,” Diabetes Canada writes in an email. “We have contacted government agencies to help us to remove the garbage; however we have not yet been successful. We simply do not have the financial resources to deploy staff to clean the garbage around our more than 5,000 bins.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has already created a major challenge for charities that rely on clothing donations for a significant source of revenue. For example, Diabetes Canada uses the revenue to support diabetes research and to send children with Type 1 diabetes to camp. The organization’s donation bins also divert 100 million pounds off textiles from the landfill annually.

So not only have the charities lost their major revenue source, they are also dealing with complaints from local residents about the mess around donation bins.

If you have unwanted clothing and textiles for donation, hold onto them until the donation bins are open again. These charities will need the donations more than ever when they can actually use them, when the crisis has passed.

It’s been a popular Thanksgiving tradition since 1868, but the Norwood Fall Fair won’t be happening in 2020.

The board of directors of the Norwood Agricultural Society has decided to cancel the 2020 fair, scheduled for October 10th to 12th, due to to uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In this time of uncertainty, for the protection of our volunteers, for the protection of our community and also for the protection of our cash reserves, the Board of Directors of the Norwood Agricultural Society wishes to advise the 2020 Norwood Fair is officially cancelled,” the board writes on the fair’s Facebook page.

“This decision was made after much consideration, discussion and anxiety. We thank everyone for their support over the past 151 years and we look forward to ‘business as usual in 2021’.”

The only other time the Norwood Fall Fair was cancelled was in 1939, in advance of the beginning of World War II — it returned eight years later in 1947.

kawarthaNOW is providing a daily report of COVID-19 cases in the greater Kawarthas region.

This report is based on data supplied by the region’s three public health units, as retrieved by province’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS). This information is at least 24 hours old, so it is not real-time data.

We will update each daily report throughout the day to reflect the most current information available. Note that each health unit provides the information in a different way.

Peterborough Public Health

Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.

Confirmed positive: 44
Confirmed negative: 749
Under investigation: 221
Deaths: 0
Resolved: 10

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit’s service area is the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County.

Confirmed positive: 97 (82* in Kawartha Lakes, 13 in Northumberland, 2 in Haliburton)
Hospitalizations: 3
Deaths: 24 (21 in Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon**)

*Provincial direction has changed so now all residents and staff in a long-term care home in an outbreak are to be tested for COVID-19.
**The administrator of Pinecrest Nursing Home has reported 26 deaths as of April 6, 2020.

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.

Confirmed positive: 21
Probable cases: 284
Deaths: 0

Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 4,347
Under investigation: 329
Hospitalized: 589
Hospitalized and in ICU: 216
Hospitalized and in ICU with ventilator: 160
Deaths: 132
Resolved: 1,624

For more information about COVID-19 in Ontario, visit covid-19.ontario.ca.

If you’ve stopped working and have lost your income because of COVID-19, you can apply for the federal government’s Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) starting on Monday, April 6th.

CERB provides temporary income support to workers who have stopped working and are without employment income, or self-employment income, for reasons related to COVID-19.

CERB is for everyone who has lost their income because of COVID-19 — people who have to stay at home, restaurant workers, freelancers, creative workers like musicians and artists, and more. It replaces the Emergency Care Benefit and Emergency Support Benefit previously announced on Wednesday, March 18th as part of the federal government’s COVID-19 economic response plan.

Here’s everything you need to know about CERB, including how much you will get, whether you qualify, how and when to apply, and more.

How much do I get and when?

CERB is paid in the amount of $2,000 (equivalent to $500 per week) in fixed blocks of four-week periods. You can receive a maximum of 16 weeks of benefits, up to $8,000 over four months. While the four months do not necessarily have to be consecutive, for most workers they probably will be. You apply every month that you need CERB, up to a maximum of four months.

After you apply for CERB, you receive a lump sum payment of $2,000 to cover a four-week benefit period. You will need to budget this lump sum over the month, as you cannot apply for additional benefits until the next four-week benefit period.

Important note: you have to apply and confirm your eligibility for each four-week period you are eligible for CERB, up to a maximum of four four-week periods. For example, if you apply in April and still need CERB in May, you will need to apply again for CERB in May.

Who is eligible?

Anyone who has lost their employment income or self-employment income because they have stopped working due to COVID-19 is eligible for CERB. The benefit is available to all workers who are Canadian residents, at least 15 years old, who have stopped working because of COVID-19.

You must have earned at least $5,000 in income in either the past 12 months or in all of 2019.

The income may be from any (or a combination of) employment income, self-employment income, or maternity and parental benefits under the employment insurance program (EI). The income does not have to have been earned in Canada, but you must reside in Canada.

For example, if you have been let go from your job or your hours have been reduced to zero because of COVID-19, you are eligible. If you have stopped working because you are in quarantine or sick due to COVID-19, or if you have stopped working because you are taking care of others because they are in quarantine or sick due to COVID-19, you are eligible. If you have stopped working because you have to take care of children or other dependants because of COVID-19, you are eligible. But only if you aren’t receiving any income — if you are being paid by your employer while you are at home, you are not eligible.

If you are already receiving EI benefits, you are also not eligible for CERB. However, if you have stopped working because of COVID-19 and are eligible for EI but haven’t yet applied for EI, you can apply for CERB instead. In fact, the federal government is encouraging workers to apply for CERB rather than EI, as the EI system was not designed to process the unprecedented volume of applications caused by COVID-19.

If you have already applied for EI but your claim has not been processed yet, you will receive EI regular or sickness benefits if you became eligible for EI prior to March 15th. If you became eligible for EI on or after March 15th, your EI claim will be processed as a CERB application instead, and you will receive the CERB amount regardless of what you may have been entitled to under EI.

If you have been paid EI regular benefits for at least one week of benefits since December 29, 2019 and have used up your entitlement to those benefits, you are elgiible for CERB.

If you are still employed but are no longer receiving income because of disruptions to your work situation due to COVID-19, you are also eligible for CERB. For example, if your employer is protecting your job and expects you will return to work at some point, but is not paying you, you are eligible for CERB.

When you apply to CERB for the very first time, you must have stopped (or will stop working) for at least 14 consecutive days within the four-week benefit period for which you are applying, and have received (or expect to receive) no more than $1,000 in combined employment or self-employment income for these consecutive days.

For any additional four-week benefit period you apply for, you continue to not work (and expect to remain in this position) for the entire four week period for which you are applying, and expect to receive no more than $1,000 in combined employment or self-employment income.

As long as you meet the other eligibility criteria, you will not be disqualified for CERB for having non-employment income. You can receive income from non-employment sources while on CERB, including temporary provincial income support, social assistance, workers’ compensation, or pension income. However, you can’t receive any income from employment or self-employment.

Workers who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents — including temporary foreign workers and international students — may be eligible to receive CERB if they meet the other eligibility requirements.

Who is NOT eligible?

If you are looking for a job but haven’t stopped working because of COVID-19, you are ineligible for CERB. For example, if you are a student who had a job last year and were planning on working this summer, you do not qualify for the benefit. You must have been receiving employment income or self-employment income that stopped because of COVID-19.

If you are already receiving EI benefits, you are ineligible for CERB. However, if your EI benefits end before October 3, 2020 and you meet the eligibility requirements (including that you stopped work because of COVID-19), you can apply for CERB when your EI benefits end.

If you have already applied for EI and became eligible for EI benefits on or after March 15th, your EI claim will be processed as a CERB application instead, and you will receive the CERB amount regardless of what you may have been entitled to under EI.

If you are on paid sick leave (receiving full or partial employment income), you are not eligible for CERB.

If you are on special benefits such as maternity or parental leave, you are ineligible for CERB. However, if work is unavailable due to COVID-19 upon conclusion of your maternity or parental leave, you may be eligible to apply for CERB.

Can I have any other income?

On April 15, 2020, the federal government expanded the eligibility criteria for CERB to allow people to remain eligible even if they are earning up to $1,000 a month in employment or self-employment income. This expansion allows freelancers, gig workers, part-time workers and others to still earn some income without making them ineligible for the benefit.

When you apply to CERB for the very first time, you must have stopped (or will stop working) for at least 14 consecutive days within the four-week benefit period for which you are applying, and have received (or expect to receive) no more than $1,000 in combined employment or self-employment income for these consecutive days.

For any additional four-week benefit period you apply for, you continue to not work (and expect to remain in this position) for the entire four week period for which you are applying, and expect to receive no more than $1,000 in combined employment or self-employment income.

As long as you meet the other eligibility criteria, you can also receive non-employment income and still be eligible for CERB. You can receive income from non-employment sources while on CERB, including temporary provincial income support, social assistance, workers’ compensation, or pension income.

How do I apply?

You can apply for CERB online or by using a toll-free automated phone line.

You apply online using your Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) account (“My Account”). Before applying, make sure your direct deposit and mailing information is up to date with CRA.

If you don’t have a CRA My Account but you do have a My Service Canada Account, you can sign into CRA using your My Service Canada Account.

If you don’t have either, you can register for a CRA My Account.

You need a CRA account to apply online but, if you do not have a CRA account, you can apply by phone by calling the automated toll-free line at 1-800-959-2019. You will be prompted to enter your social insurance number (SIN) and your postal code to verify your identity, as well as the period for which you are applying.

Both the online and phone services will be available 21 hours a day, seven days a week. They will be closed from 3 to 6 a.m. EDT for maintenance.

CRA will issue payments by direct deposit or cheque, based on the payment method CRA has on file for you. There is no waiting period. Direct deposits will be issued within three business days from the day you submitted your application, with cheques issued within 10 business days from the day you submitted your application. Payments will be retroactive to your eligibility date.

Important note: you have to apply and confirm your eligibility for each four-week period you are eligible for CERB, up to a maximum of four four-week periods. For example, if you apply in April and still need CERB in May, you will need to apply again in May.

If you want to apply online, the federal government recommends that you get ready before applying by logging into your CRA My Account. Check to make sure your mailing address is up to date and, if you want to receive direct deposit, that your banking information is available and current.

On what day should I apply?

Whether you apply for CERB online or by phone, in order to manage service requests, CRA has set up specific days when you should apply, which are based on your month of birth:

• If you were born in January, February, or March, apply for CERB on Mondays, with the first application date on April 6th
• If you were born in April, May, or June, apply for CERB on Tuesdays, with the first application date on April 7th
• If you were born in July, August, or September, apply for CERB on Wednesdays, with the first application date on April 8th
• If you were born in October, November, or December, apply for CERB on Thursdays, with the first application date on April 9th

You can also apply on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays regardless of your month of birth.

Do I need to provide any documentation when I apply?

You do not need to provide any special documentation when applying for CERB.

If you are applying by phone, you must have your social insurance number (SIN) and your postal code to verify your identity.

When applying, you will need to affirm that you meet the eligibility criteria for CERB. Important note: the federal government may verify at a later time the information you provided during the application process — so if you are not honest when applying, it may come back to haunt you later (for example, your taxes may be audited). If you are later found to be ineligible, your will be required to repay the benefit.

When are the CERB four-week benefit periods?

Here are the fixed CERB periods up to September:

• March 15, 2020 to April 11, 2020
• April 12, 2020 to May 9, 2020
• May 10, 2020 to June 6, 2020
• June 7, 2020 to July 4, 2020
• July 5, 2020 to August 1, 2020
• August 2, 2020 to August 29, 2020
• August 30, 2020 to September 26, 2020

After you apply for a CERB period, the next one will become available on the first Monday of the period.

Will I have to pay income taxes on CERB?

CERB is a taxable benefit, but income taxes will not be deducted from your benefit when you receive it. Instead, you will have to report CERB as income when you file your income tax for the 2020 tax year.

You will therefore pay any tax owed, based on your usual 2020 income in addition to CERB, in 2021 when you file your tax return.

I have a question about CERB I can’t find the answer to here

If you have a question you can’t find the answer to here, visit the Government of Canada’s Apply for Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) with CRA page and the Questions and Answers on the Canada Emergency Response Benefit page.

You can also find answers to common questions by calling CRA’s automated help line at 1-833-966-2099. If you have a more detailed or unusual question, you can speak with a CRA agent in person by calling 1-800-959-8281.

This story has been updated to reflect the expanded eligibility for CERB announced by the federal government on April 15, 2020.

If you know how to sew and have little to do because of the COVID-19 lockdown, here’s an opportunity to put your skills and time to great use.

In the ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) needs 1,000 masks every week, and the hospital is calling on the community to help.

“We are grateful for the generous donations of personal protective equipment (PPE) we have received for our healthcare workers,” the hospital states in a media release. “However, there continues to be a worldwide shortage of PPE.”

PRHC is asking for people in the community who know how to sew to make non-medical masks for the use of patients and visitors to the hospital.

The handmade masks will not be used by the hospital’s healthcare workers, who will continue to use certified masks. Instead, they will be given to patients who still need to visit the hospital for necessary care can’t always keep their distance from healthcare workers, approved visitors to the hospital, discharged patients returning to the community, and others in the community to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Most importantly, the availability of handmade masks means the hospital can preserve its certified masks for the use of healthcare providers and support staff.

The hospital is promoting a simple two-ply pleated mask design. Along with standard sewing supplies, you will need dark-coloured polyester fabric for the outside of the mask (or 100 per cent cotton if polyester is not available), light-coloured 100 per cent cotton for the part of the mask that goes against the skin, and elastic or fabric ties.

Clean fabric should be used, although PRHC will also wash all masks before distributing them.

PRHC is accepting mask donations seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the hospital’s main entrance at 1 Hospital Drive in Peterborough. Enter through the main entrance and a screener will accept the donation. The hospital is requesting masks be placed into a plastic bag with your contact information (name, address, email address, and phone number).

Before you drop them off, the hospital encourages you to share your mask creations social media, tagging the hospital @PRHC1 and using the hashtags #InThisTogether #PRHCstrong #PTBO1000MaskChallenge.

If you have any question about mask donations, you can contact Bonnie Mackey at bmackey@prhc.on.ca or 705-743-2121 ext. 3325.

If you can’t sew but still want to help the hospital’s efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, you can make a donation to the PRHC Foundation in support of critical investments in lifesaving equipment and technology and supports for patients and front-line healthcare workers. Donors can also send a special thank you message to PRHC’s doctors, nurses, and staff.

To donate or share your message, visit www.prhcfoundation.ca or call 705-876-5000.

The death toll at Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon has risen to 22, after two more residents passed away on Friday (April 3),

“This is an especially trying time for all of us who are part of the Pinecrest community and we are all affected by this loss,” administrator Mary Carr says in a statement.

Families have been informed of the status of their loved ones, Carr says.

The home has sent additional tests to the local health unit, Carr says, and will continue to keep families updated as information becomes available.

As staff at the home continue to provide comfort and care to residents who are ill, the home has increased staffing levels and is are working to add additional supports for its care team.

Processes and measures implemented at the home to help keep residents and the community safe include strict physical distancing of staff working with ill residents as well as those working with healthy residents, wearing full personal protective equipment at all times, and ensuring diligence in all areas of care and in carrying enhanced cleaning techniques.

“Our staff have been astounded by the support from our community,” Carr says.

“We are grateful for the kind words, acts of solidarity, and even homemade food and gifts. This support means the world to us as we work to put residents and families first.”

“Even one loss in our home leaves a lasting mark on our residents, their families, and our care team and these recent deaths have been felt by the whole community.”

Carr also released a video statement updating the community and thanking them for their support.

VIDEO: Pinecrest Nursing Home Statement – April 4, 2020