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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, A pr il 23 ,2 02 0 | 6 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 80 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the news- paper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca newsroom@theifp.ca IndependentAndFreePress @IFP_11 WHO WE ARE Publisher Kelly Montague Regional Managing Editor Catherine O'Hara Managing Editor Karen Miceli Distribution Representative Iouliana Polar Real Estate Kristie Pells Regional Production Manager Manuel Garcia Halton Media General Manager Vicki Dillane CONTACT US The Independent & Free Press 280 Guelph Street, Unit 77 Georgetown, ON L7G 4B1 Phone: 905-873-0301 Classifieds: 1-800-263-6480 Fax: 905-873-0398 Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 320 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Published letters will appear in print and/or online at theifp.ca Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please e-mail lpolar@miltoncanadianchampion.com or call 905-234-1019. OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT THEIFP.CA With Parliament's ap- proval, the Government of Canada has created a CO- VID-19 Economic Response Plan with programs in place for individuals, busi- nesses and industries be- ing affected by the CO- VID-19 pandemic. Information on all pro- grams can be found on the government's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan webpage at canada.ca/en/ department-finance/eco- nomic-response-plan.html or by calling (833) 784-4397. I encourage you to con- sult the Economic Re- sponse Plan's webpage to get the most up-to-date in- formation on its programs -- programs continue to be tweaked as the pandemic unfolds. Some of the programs in the Economic Response Plan include: • Canada Emergency Re- sponse Benefit -- a taxable benefit of $2,000 a month for up to 4 months to eligi- ble workers who have lost their income due to CO- VID-19; • Enhancements to the Canada Child Benefit -- an extra $300 per child through the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) for 2019-20; • Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy -- will cover 75 per cent of salaries for qualifying businesses, for a 12-week period, retroac- tive to March 15th, 2020; and • The Canada Emergen- cy Business Account -- will provide qualifying small businesses with in- terest-free loans of up to $40,000 until the end of 2022; if the loan is repaid by December 31, 2022, 25 per cent (up to $10,000) will be forgiven. If you have questions about the coronavirus, you can call the federal govern- ment at (833) 784- 4397 or visit: canada.ca/coronavi- rus. You can also visit the provincial government's coronavirus webpage at: ontario.ca/page/2019-nov- el-coronavirus. If you believe you have contracted the coronavi- rus, you should contact one of the following: • Your doctor, • Halton Region Public Health at 311, or • Telehealth Ontario at (866) 797-0000. To obtain assistance, please contact us by phone, email or on my Facebook and Twitter accounts. As always, you can call me at (905) 702-2597. Michael Chong is the MP for Wellington-Halton Hills. OTTAWA'S ECONOMIC PLAN FOR STEERING US THROUGH PANDEMIC HERE'S A LOOK AT THE PROGRAMS IN PLACE TO HELP THOSE AFFECTED BY PANDEMIC, WRITES MICHAEL CHONG (The following is an ex- cept from a social media post turned newspaper col- umn by local physician Dr. Nadia Alam). My six-year-old son hugs me tight. "Please don't die," he whispers. It's something he now says nearly every time I leave to go to work. My heart squeezes. I'm a GP-anesthetist in Georgetown. I work in a small community hospital, charming, old and in need of upgrades. In the OR, I wipe my hands with hand sanitizer, cleaning the webs between my fingers, the bends, the folds, under my nails. I'm in scrubs. Wearing a blue hair bonnet. My phone, ID and pen in a Ziploc bag. I slide on my N95 respira- tor. Out of all the protective gear, it's vital to get this one right. Get a tight seal, ensur- ing that no aerosolized par- ticles of the virus leak in and infect me. The bands and sides cut into my cheeks. The filter dries the air so it catches in my throat, mak- ing me cough. I swallow. A couple of emergency OR cases on the board today -- a patient with a fracture. A patient with appendicitis. COVID-19 status: unknown. So we'll wear full protective equipment. Because of my job, I'm at high risk of catch- ing COVID-19. Maybe I can keep the same N95 on for both cases? As long as it's not soiled or damaged or difficult to breathe through, as long as I don't take it off to eat or drink, I should be able to use my N95 for a long time. May- be the whole day. With the N95 tightly bound to my face, I put on the rest of my gear -- gog- gles, face shields, gown, double gloves. And the accompanying worry: we don't have enough. Not enough N95 respirators, surgical masks, gloves, gowns, face shields, goggles. None of us know from when or where the next shipment will come. Working in the com- munity is worse -- many doctors have a week's sup- ply left. The uncertainty is terrifying. The pandemic has al- ready hit hospitals down- town, some are also at risk of running out. "It's a war zone," a doctor downtown texted last week. These thin layers of pro- tective equipment -- it's all that stands between us and COVID-19. Dr. Nadia Alam is a Georgetown physician and past president of the Onta- rio Medical Association. 'PLEASE DON'T DIE' SON'S DAILY PLEA BEFORE I LEAVE FOR WORK AT HOSPITAL A HEART-WRENCHING EXPERIENCE, WRITES DR. NADIA ALAM NADIA ALAM Column These thin layers of protective equipment -- it's all that stands between us and COVID-19. #CHALKABOUTLOVE Halton Women's Place has started a feel good challenge called #chalkaboutlove, inviting residents to post a photo on social media of artwork or an inspiring message created in their driveway or window. Tag @hagwomensplace, using the hashtag #healthyrelationshipsmatter. Photos can also be sent to your local newspaper to sleblanc@metroland.com. HWP illustration MICHAEL CHONG Column SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT THEIFP.CA