We hope that our ethnic media stories from the past few weeks have provided you with some valuable insight into how COVID-19 is affecting diverse communities across Canada. Their viewpoint is essential as Canada looks to rebuild a more inclusive country with equal access to basic rights such as healthcare, education, and housing. While we continue to monitor COVID-19 impact, we are taking a break to restructure our delivery. We will, however, continue with our time-to-time review of ethnic media trends on the MIREMS blog.
If you have a special interest you would like to see monitored in ethnic media, please contact our Director Blythe Irwin via email at [email protected] or by phone at 604-349-3080.
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WEB - Van People - Vancouver, 27/06/2020 - ARTICLE, Chinese Image source: Van People website Summary Translation: Canadian Students' Union - In comparison to other countries, Canada’s method of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic was very interesting. Since the start of the outbreak, the federal government has not forced individuals displaying minor symptoms to self-isolate. Instead, the federal government focused its effort on handing money out to Canadians. In addition, Canada has been depending on immigration to stimulate economic growth. The economic recession caused by the pandemic has pushed Canada to bring in more immigrants. During the pandemic, Canada’s immigration system continues to reduce the immigration requirements, and the score for the Express Entry portal has continued to decline. Federal Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino also emphasized that the pandemic will not cause Canada to reduce its immigration target, because accepting more newcomers will be the key to recover Canada’s economy. Link to original article: https://info.vanpeople.com/?action-viewnews-catid-51-itemid-1091113
University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services to test wastewater for COVID-19 - Punjabi6/29/2020 RADIO - Red FM 106.7 Roshni - Calgary, 26/06/2020 - NEWS, Punjabi Summary Translation: The University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services will together investigate Calgary's wastewater so that COVID-19 cases can be detected early on. The University’s Cumming School of Medicine Professor Michael Parkins said that in this collaborative project, other than the City of Calgary’s wastewater plant, samples from different locations and wastewater collection systems will be investigated so that locations where active COVID-19 patients are living can be detected. Dr. Parkins said that this investigation will not be limited to wastewater plants alone and will be expanded to the pipes into which residents’ toilets are flushed so that exact locations can be detected. The virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, is present in the excreta of pre-symptomatic, asymptomatic, and symptomatic patients. With such a study, professionals will get help in detecting COVID-19 cases before they become clinically evident.
PRINT - Nawa-i-Pakistan - Montreal, 25/06/2020 - NEWS, p. 7, Urdu Summary Translation: Nawa I Pakistan News - Toronto was the fastest growing city in Canada and the U.S. last year, thanks to immigration. A recent analysis out of Ryerson University concluded that Toronto saw the most growth in terms of the city and the metropolitan area, which includes municipalities in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Metropolitan Toronto grew by approximately 130,000 people in the 12 months leading up to July 1, 2019. Most of these gains were led by immigration. Though the coronavirus has seen Canada’s immigration numbers fall in recent months, Toronto is still expected to see growth driven by immigration once Canada’s newcomer levels recover. Immigrants are attracted to a particular community based on a number of factors including jobs, community, settlement supports, and infrastructure such as transportation, access to housing and education. Jobs, community, and family ties, are the most important drivers, according to the Conference Board of Canada. Link to original story: http://nawaipakepaper.com/home/single/228/4536
RADIO - East FM 102.7 - Toronto, 25/06/2020 - News, Tamil Summary Translation: A new study finds the proportion of Canadian COVID-19 deaths that have occurred in long-term care facilities is about twice the average of rates from other developed countries. The analysis released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information provides a damning snapshot of senior care as of May 25, when long-term care residents made up 81 per cent of all reported COVID-19 deaths in the country compared to an average of 42 per cent among all countries studied. The contrast in long-term care deaths is even more stark between provinces and territories, says the report, which notes long-term care deaths represented more than 70 per cent of all COVID-19 deaths in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta and 97 per cent of all deaths in Nova Scotia. Alberta has experienced among the highest number of COVID-19 deaths at long-term care facilities compared to other provinces, according to the latest analysis from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). Image Source: East FM Twitter
WEB - Ahram-Canada - Toronto, 24/06/2020 - News, Arabic Image Source: Ahram-Canada website Summary Translation: The Ontario Premier Doug Ford said at his daily press conference that “an immigrant worker who has been wronged to contact my office, and I will take care of the issue myself.” The press conference today witnessed a long discussion about the inhumane conditions that immigrant workers are exposed to on Canadian farms in Essex-Windsor. The issue had been raised due to the spread of Coronavirus in the region, which also caused the delay in its transition to the second stage. It is reported that the Coronavirus spread occurred among immigrant workers on the farms. Ford said that a foreign worker will not be allowed to be humiliated and that they are protected just like Canadians, adding that any worker who feels wronged should contact Ford's offices and he will take care of the matter himself. It is known that there are temporary immigrant workers who come to Canada for seasonal work on farms and these are not entitled to permanent residence in Canada and will return to their country upon the end of their contract. Link to original article: https://www.ahram-canada.com/176029/
PRINT - Hamdard Daily - Toronto, 23/06/2020 - News, Punjabi Image Source: Hamdard Daily Summary Translation: The majority of international students did not receive the federal aid package for students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Canadian government notes on its website that CERB is available for those residing in Canada who are at least 15 years old, have stopped working for COVID-19-related reasons, have earned at least CAD $5,000 in 2019 or in the 12 months prior to the date of their application, and who have not quit their job voluntarily. However, international students do not earn enough from their part-time jobs to make them eligible for the scheme. Only 20% of foreign students have received the benefit. Akash Sharma, who came to Canada three years ago on a study visa, said that the government had allowed international students to work for 40 hours a week after the spread of the coronavirus. However, he said that businesses closed due to the pandemic and many international students have lost their jobs. Foreign students who do not qualify for the COVID-19 emergency benefit are expressing their dismay over the lack of support because they have to pay rent and get groceries.
More than a third of nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates are immigrants - Chinese6/24/2020 WEB - 51.ca - Toronto, 23/06/2020 - NEWS, Chinese Image Source: 51.ca website Summary Translation: In 2016, 245,500 people were employed as nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates in Canada. Of these workers, more than a third (87,925) were immigrants. Furthermore, the share of immigrants among nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates varied significantly from one province to another. In 2016, half of the workers in these occupations in Alberta were immigrants, compared with only 2.9% in Newfoundland and Labrador. Link to original article: https://m.51.ca/info/news/canada/2020-06/900467
RADIO - CHHA AM 1610 Voces Latinas - Toronto, 19/06/2020 - NEWS, Spanish Summary Translation: The Ford government plans to reduce the number of statutory holidays for frontline retail employees from nine to three. Unifor Ontario Regional Director Naureen Rizvi said the union participated in a technical meeting with the office of Consumer Services Minister Lisa Thompson. They were told the number of holidays would be reduced to three: Christmas, Good Friday and Canada Day. The two-year pilot project proposed by the government would allow retail stores to stay open six additional days to help them recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Rizvi said these holidays are often the only time off retail workers are guaranteed. She informed Thompson's office that the union is completely opposed to the proposal. The union was told that municipalities can choose not to participate, but they would have to approve regulations to opt out. The proposal comes right after Loblaws, Metro, Walmart and Sobeys ended pandemic pay increases for their employees. Unifor represents about 2,000 retail workers and leads the effort to make fair pay permanent.
WEB - Van People - Vancouver, 18/06/2020 - ARTICLE, Chinese Image Source: Van People website Summary Translation: No Byline - Although some countries shut themselves down during the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada believes that we must now work more closely with international trading partners than ever before to allow small businesses, families, workers and all Canadians to benefit. On June 15, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade Minister Ng had a virtual summit with 12 international partners of the Ottawa Group. The Group worked together to maintain trade in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, smoothen the supply chain, and support inclusiveness and sustainability. Ng said: “There is no doubt that Canadians rely on trade, whether you are a manufacturer who needs certain materials to produce a ventilator, or a family that needs life-saving medicines. Bringing our Ottawa Group partners together through a virtual network is an excellent opportunity. This summit will let us discuss how we can work together to keep the goods and services unimpeded, promote the rule-based trading system to be more modern, and support our people. Canada will continue to play a leading role on the world stage, so that our businesses, workers, and all Canadians can benefit from trade. More importantly, Canada will pave the way in the world after the COVID-19 pandemic towards more sustainable and prosperous development.” Link to original article: https://info.vanpeople.com/?action-viewnews-catid-159-itemid-1087587
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