Community Resources

Students in all schools (publicly funded and private) will move to remote learning January 5, 2022, until at least January 17, subject to public health trends and operational considerations.

School buildings will be permitted to open for child care operations, including emergency child care, to provide in-person instruction for students with special education needs who cannot be accommodated remotely and for staff who are unable to deliver quality instruction from home.

During this period of remote learning, free emergency child care will be provided for school-aged children of eligible health care and other frontline workers. Applications are now open to apply for emergency child care through Northumberland County.

For updated information in our county, visit Northumberland County's COVID-19 Service Updates and Facility Closures webpage. 

Community Agencies at Large

• 211: 211’s award-winning telephone helpline (2-1-1) and website provide a gateway to community, social, nonclinical health and related government services. 211 helps to navigate the complex network of human services quickly and easily – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 100 languages. 
• The Help Centre: provides programming and supports for unemployed and disadvantaged residents in Northumberland County. Clients are encouraged to contact the Legal Centre by phone at 1-888-698-3382 to make an appointment. 
• The Legal Centre: provides legal advice and information for unemployed and disadvantaged residents in Northumberland County. Clients are encouraged to contact the Legal Centre by phone at 1-800-850-7882 to make an appointment.  

Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre

• Shelter: remains open for existing clients, however - in response to recommendations around social distancing - admissions are restricted to only high risk cases at this time, based on the organization's Risk Assessment. Enhanced cleaning measures have been implemented onsite across the organization to prevent the spread of germs.
• 24-hour support line: remains available - 905-372-0746 
• Community Resource Centre: closed to in-person appointments.  All support will be provided via phone or video call. All existing appointments will be virtual. If you are a new client seeking support, please call the office:
  • Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: 905-372-1545
  • After-hours: call the 24-hour support line  

Learn more about Cornerstone services.

Thrive Northumberland Coalition to End Violence
For information about local violence against women COVID-19 support services, visit the Thrive Northumberland COVID-19 Support page.

Emergency Assistance may be available via Ontario Works

Complete an application online or call Northumberland County Community & Social Services to learn more: 1-800-354-7051 ext. 2468

Financial aid, payment deferrals and other supports

For an up-to-date listing of provincial and federal government supports and other assistance for which you may be eligible, including supports for seniors, families, students, businesses, and vulnerable community members, please visit covidsupports.ca 

Meals on Wheels is available through Community Care Northumberland. This program is currently delivering frozen meals only: 1-866-514-5774.

Northumberland Fare Share Food Bank, Cobourg

700 D'Arcy Street, Building #19, Cobourg
Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.; Fridays 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Phone: 905-372-5308

Salvation Army Community Drop-in and Food Cupboard
66 Swayne Street, Cobourg
January – September, closed on statutory holidays
1st & 3rd Thursday of the month, 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. (Please bring your own bags)
Note: Only allowing one person into the office at a time. People will have to wait outside until their turn.

Salvation Army Emergency Food Assistance
66 Swayne Street, Cobourg
By appointment only; Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Note: Only allowing one person into the office at a time. People will have to wait outside until their appointed time.
Phone: 905-373-9440
Email: safamser@cogeco.net
Text: 905-375-7862

Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Emergency food
Cobourg, call 905-373-9391
Grafton, call 905-377-3263

Community Outreach
Northumberland County Community and Social Services
People in crisis can call the Centralized Intake Unit (CIU) at: 905-372-6846 or 1-800-354-7051 ext. 2468

If you think you may have COVID-19 symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who has it, use the Ministry of Health's self-assessment to help determine if you need to seek further care. 

Everyone in your household must stay home if anyone has COVID-19 symptoms or is waiting for test results after experiencing symptoms.

Stay home while the symptomatic household member is isolating.

If you are having difficulty breathing or experiencing other severe symptoms, call 911.

Provincial Resources

You can find information about COVID-19 in multiple languages from the Ontario government website.

• Ontario Health Cards: The Ontario government has extended validation periods for Ontario Health Cards. Anyone with an expiring or expired health card will continue to have access to insured health services.
• OHIP Coverage: The Ontario government is waiving the three-month waiting period for Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) coverage and will cover the cost of COVID-19 services for any uninsured people who do not meet the criteria for OHIP coverage.    

Access to a physician

Virtual doctor appointments for those with and without a family physician: Northumberland Care - a new website - has launched in Northumberland County to ensure our community knows the best way to get in touch with their family doctor, and for those without a family doctor to get the care they need.

Mental health and addiction supports

• Northumberland Hills Hospital Community Mental Health Services' Walk-In Community Mental Health Counselling Clinic is now using a hybrid model of care that mixes virtual visits and face-to-face options, walk-in counselling remains open and available for children, youth and adults (aged 7 and up) each Tuesday and Thursday at the Walk-In Counselling Clinic at NHH's Community Mental Health Services office at 1011 Elgin Street West, Suite 200, Cobourg. Clients of the Walk-In Counselling Clinic connect briefly (typically by phone) with a case manager to identify goals for the walk-in session, and attend a same-day therapy session virtually or (as circumstances require) in person. Should the walk-in demand exceed the teams' capacity on a given day, clients will be asked to return on the next Tuesday or Thursday. There is no charge. If you have access to a phone, please call 905-377-7784 to receive support from the Walk-In Counselling team on Tuesdays from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Thursdays from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Rebound Child & Youth Services: community-based programs and services for children, youth, and families. Group programs are temporarily suspended however intakes, assessments and appointments continue by phone.
• FourCAST: community-based addiction treatment provider. All office locations are currently closed, however clients can still access phone supports by calling 705-876-1292 or 1-800-461-1909.
  • In lieu of the regular Walk-in Counselling Clinic, telephone support will be provided Tuesdays from 8am-4pm and Thursdays from 10am-6pm: 905-377-7784. 
  • For support Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm: call Rebound at 905-372-0007 and leave a confidential message containing your first and last name, phone number, and date of birth. A staff member will respond to you as soon as possible to provide telephone mental health support. 
• For individuals in crisis:
  • Call Four County Crisis at 1-705-745-6484 or 1-866-995-9933
  • Reach out to the Community and Social Services Help Line by dialing 211
  • Or - go to the closest Emergency Department

Other Wellness Supports

Contact Community Care Northumberland (1-866-514-5774) for more about the following services:  

• Personal Distress Alarms: allows older adults and people with disabilities to call for assistance using a help button. 24-hour emergency response.
• Telephone Security Checks: provides isolated persons with regular contact in order to provide reassurance and, if necessary, to arrange for assistance. These calls are usually short - about five minutes - and are made at regular, prearranged times or when family and friends are away.
• Visiting Hospice Services: all visiting and assessments will be completed by telephone.
• Friendly Visiting: companionship for seniors or adults with disabilities. All friendly visiting is currently being completed by telephone. 

In light of the social distancing measures during COVID-19, ConnexHealth Inc. has partnered with Pharmalinx Medical Centre to provide an online service that allows our clients to request and confirm medical prescriptions online. The prescriptions will be filled by the team of professional pharmacists at Pharmalinx delivered by dedicated team of drivers for free to your doorstep.

Place your order at www.connexmatch.ca/medication-delivery or call 1-833-545-7211 for assistance.

In order to access the pharmacy services, you will be routed to the pharmacy website. Once the intake form has been completed, it will be processed by the pharmacy team and delivered. Note, that all orders must be placed before 1pm for the same day delivery. In case of emergencies, pharmacy may allow exceptions. This information will need to be discussed directly with the pharmacy team member. Medications will be delivered from Monday to Saturday, note pharmacy is closed on Sundays.

Services are currently being provided within the Greater Toronto Area, Bowmanville, Cobourg, Peel, Halton and Niagara Regions.

Learn more: Read the press release

Small-to-Medium Sized Business Rapid Antigen Tests

The Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce located at 278 George Street in Cobourg will act as a distribution center for Rapid Antigen Screening kits to be used for self-screening in the workplace under the guidance of proper Health and Safety Guidelines provided. This is for organizations with 150 or fewer employees. Appointments for initial training and subsequent reorders can be made on Tuesdays and Thursdays of every week.

Find the latest update here:

Rapid Test Kits - New Contracts - Jan 11, 2022 - Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce, ON (nccofc.ca)

JOB PORTAL

Minister Hardeman announced on Saturday, April 4th that the Government of Ontario has launched a new website aimed at connecting people with good quality jobs in the agri-food sector. Ontario.ca/agfoodjobs is a new, one stop site featuring a number of useful online resources and employment openings in the agri-food sector for job seekers. This online portal provides access to information on exciting job opportunities right across Ontario’s food supply chain – from grocery retailers, to bakeries and cheese factories, to opportunities on farms and in transportation, and many more.

Learn more at ontario.ca/agfoodjobs

OPEN FOR E-BUSINESS

Minister Ernie Hardeman announced the Agri-Food Open for E-Business initiative will help food producers, farmers markets, retailers, garden centres, greenhouses, nurseries, and agricultural associations increase online sales and provide Ontario families with greater access to a wide variety of foods and agriculture products.

Through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (the Partnership), the federal and provincial governments are investing up to $2.5 million to help businesses and organizations quickly expand their marketing channels and grow e-business opportunities.

This targeted application intake features two funding streams:

1. Bring Your Business Online. Eligible organizations and businesses can apply for a grant of up to $5,000 to establish an online e-business and marketing presence. Funding under this stream will be quick and responsive for those needing immediate solutions.
2. Develop Online Business Opportunities. Eligible organizations, businesses and collaborations can apply for cost-share funding for up to $75,000 to implement high-impact projects.

OMAFRA will immediately accept applications and expedite the approval process to help businesses and organizations to develop new online presences or to expand and enhance their current one.

Learn more at omafra.gov.on.ca/english/cap/ebusiness.htm

The Ontario government has passed an Emergency Order allowing authorized cannabis retail stores to provide curbside pick-up and delivery services. This allows cannabis retailers to have the same opportunities as other non-essential businesses that are permitted to operate remotely if they can provide goods for pickup and delivery.

Ensuring that cannabis stores can continue to provide people with safe, convenient access to legal cannabis is the best way to help Ontario continue its fight against the illegal market.

Retailers will continue to be required to have measures in place to protect the health and safety of Ontarians, including youth, and delivery and curbside pick-up must be done by cannabis store licence holders and/or staff who have taken the CannSell training program. 

The Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020, has now been extended until March 2022. 

The Ontario government is taking further action to stop the spread of COVID-19 by actively recruiting health care workers to increase the frontline capacity of hospitals, clinics, and assessment centres. We launched a new online tool that will help match skilled frontline workers with employers. The new Health Workforce Matching Portal will enable health care providers with a range of experience to join the province’s response to COVID-19.

Those providers include retired or non-active health care professionals, internationally educated health care professionals, students, and volunteers with health care experience. Whether you’re retired or in training, we can’t afford to have people with professional health care skills who want to help sitting on the sidelines during this crisis. The portal will efficiently match the availability and skillsets of frontline health care workers to the employers in need of assistance to perform a variety of public health functions, such as case and contact management.

Employers and interested health care professionals can visit the portal and create a profile. Once registered, professionals can add their availability and employers can enter their request for support. Registrants will receive an email notification if matched.

Visit the new Health Workforce Matching Portal or read the press release for more information.

Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB)

The Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) gives income support to employed and self-employed individuals who are unable to work because they are sick or need to self-isolate due to COVID-19, or have an underlying health condition that puts them at greater risk of getting COVID-19. The CRSB is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

If you are eligible for the CRSB, you can receive $500 ($450 after taxes withheld) for a 1-week period.

If your situation continues, you will need to apply again. You may apply for up to a total of 6 weeks between September 27, 2020 and May 7, 2022.

Sick Days Due to COVID-19

On April 29, 2021, the Ontario Government amended the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) to require employers to provide employees with up to three days of paid infectious disease emergency leave because of certain reasons related to COVID-19. This entitlement is in addition to employees’ rights to unpaid infectious disease emergency leave. Employers are generally required to pay employees the wages they would have earned had they not taken the leave, up to $200 a day for up to three days.

Employers and their workers can call a dedicated COVID-19 Sick Days Information Centre hotline at 1-888-999-2248 or visit Ontario.ca/COVIDworkerbenefit to get more information and updates about the proposed Ontario COVID-19 paid leave days.

As we work towards reopening the economy, the health and safety of Ontario's workers continues to be our government's top priority. The Hon. Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, released new safety guidelines to protect workers, customers and the general public from COVID-19 as we prepare for a gradual reopening of the provincial economy.

These measures will provide direction to those working in numerous sectors, including manufacturing, food manufacturing and processing, restaurant and food service and agriculture. They build on the 60+ guidelines developed by Ontario’s Health and Safety Associations in response to COVID-19 for various sectors such as retail, health care, construction, transportation, police services, firefighters, and transit employees.  These guidelines offer practical advice to help businesses operate safely in our new environment.

By providing clear guidelines on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace and adding new inspectors, we are preparing for a responsible reopening of the province that balances health and safety of the people of Ontario.

You can find these documents at: www.ontario.ca/page/resources-prevent-covid-19-workplace

More information on Support for Businesses can be found here: www.ontario.ca/page/covid-19-support-businesses.

Premier Ford and Minister Bethlenfalvy announced Pandemic Pay in the Broader Public Sector. This is a payment increase that would provide four dollars per hour worked on top of existing hourly wages, regardless of the qualified employees’ hourly wage. In addition, employees working over 100 hours per month would receive lump sum payments of $250 per month. Both of these payments would be in effect for 16 weeks. Those eligible to receive the payment would be frontline staff working in long-term care homes, retirement homes, social services congregate care settings, corrections institutions and youth justice facilities, those providing home and community care and some staff in hospitals.

This temporary pandemic premium pay will provide additional support and relief, encouraging staff to continue working and attracting prospective employees to help maintain safe staffing levels and the operation of critical frontline services. These workers are delivering critical services that support all Ontarians, including the most vulnerable members of our communities. This will ensure essential workers on the frontlines are being compensated adequately, while safeguarding the sustainability and viability of the health and social services sectors. 

The Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB) gives income support to employed and self-employed individuals who are unable to work because they must care for their child under 12 years old or a family member who needs supervised care. This applies if their school, regular program or facility is closed or unavailable to them due to COVID-19, or because they are sick, self-isolating, or at risk of serious health complications due to COVID-19. The CRCB is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

If you are eligible for the CRCB, your household can receive $500 ($450 after taxes withheld) for each one-week period.

If your situation continues, you will need to apply again. Each household may apply for up to a total of 44 weeks between September 27, 2020 and May 7, 2022. Find more information at Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB) - Canada.ca.

• Eligible businesses can receive payments equaling roughly 50% of property tax, and energy costs that have incurred while capacity restrictions are in place.

For more information, view the Small Business Rent Relief Q&A or visit news.ontario.ca.

Small-business-property landlords and tenants can use the province's Canada Emergency Rent Assistance (CECRA) calculator to find out how much rent support they could get through the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance for small businesses.

All commercial landlords in Ontario can now apply for rental assistance to help their small business tenants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This initiative will keep more small businesses in operation and more people employed as the province gradually and safely restarts the economy.

The Ontario government, in partnership with the federal government, has launched the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small businesses. The province is committing $241 million to the program, which will provide more than $900 million in support for small businesses across Ontario during this difficult time.  To find out how much rent support you may be eligible for, visit Ontario.ca/rentassistance. 

As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Province recognizes that many residents and businesses are facing challenges in making their scheduled property tax payments. To support unincorporated area residents and businesses, the government is extending the amount of time that taxpayers have to pay their property taxes without interest or penalties. Each of the four property tax installments due in 2020 will be deferred 90 days for those taxpayers that need more time. For example, taxpayers who would be required to pay the April 7 property tax installment now have until July 6 to pay this installment without interest or penalties. 

This deferral of unincorporated area property tax payments applies to all of the levies that are collected through the consolidated Provincial Land Tax (PLT) bill. This includes PLT, education property tax, and any Local Road Board and Local Service Board levies that are paid through the PLT bill.

The Ontario government is delivering much-needed support to Ontario’s most vulnerable citizens, including seniors and persons with disabilities, during the outbreak of COVID-19. The province is investing $11 million to help deliver meals, medicines and other essentials to those in need.

The province is working with the Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) to launch a new Ontario Community Support Program to expand existing Meals on Wheels services to reach low-income seniors and people with disabilities and chronic medical conditions across Ontario. The program will also develop the capacity of community organizations and others to help deliver medication and other essentials.

To identify a Meals on Wheels provider in your local community and request service, visit www.ontariocommunitysupport.ca.

Those without Internet access or who require service in a language other than English or French, can dial 211 or 1-877-330-3213 (toll free). TTY service is also available by calling 1-888-340-1001.

Also, volunteer organizations can now visit www.sparkontario.ca to post volunteer opportunities available in their communities. Ontarians interested in volunteering are also encouraged to check the website for opportunities to make a difference where they live.