Programs and Services Impacted by COVID-19

For the latest information on early learning and child care during the COVID-19 pandemic, visit durham.ca/COVID19.

EarlyON sites remain closed due to the pandemic. For virtual programming options, visit EarlyON Child and Family Centres. 

To connect with virtual programs, please visit the EarlyON program calendar.

While the Professional Resource Library remains closed to the public, the Children’s Services Training Specialists continue to coordinate the safe drop-off and pick-up of resources and equipment. Please contact the Training Specialists for more information.

Professional Learning Workshops are being offered virtually. Please visit the Resources for Child Care Professionals website where you can learn more about workshops in the GROW newsletter.

The Children’s Services Office at Regional Headquarters is operating on reduced hours. Employees are available by phone and email between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Family Services Durham continues to provide counselling and mental health support and services by telephone to people living or working in Durham Region. If you wish to access services please call the Family Services Durham centralized intake line at 905-666-6240 or 1-866-840-6697.

Court Services 

By judicial order, all in-person Provincial Offences Act (POA) matters scheduled from Monday, March 16, 2020 through to and including Friday, March 5, 2021 will be adjourned and rescheduled to a later date. If you have a matter scheduled in-person during this time, do not attend court. This applies to Durham POA court only.  This court location will continue to hear matters remotely.

A notice of your new court date will be sent to you by mail to the address on file with the court. For more information, please contact your local Provincial Offences court.

Updated information about Durham POA court proceedings can be found at durham.ca/CourtServices.

The Court Office continues to provide services by phone and email (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). All services normally provided at the front counter can be accessed online via durham.ca/CourtServices.

Health Department

Until further notice, the Health Department has temporarily suspended the following programs and services:

Food Safety Program: Food handler training

Income and Employment Support (Social Assistance)

All Income and Employment Support offices are currently closed to the public, which includes the Employment Resource Centre located in the Midtown Mall.

Ontario Works clients can continue to contact their caseworker for supports as all staff are currently teleworking. All services are being provided to clients via telephone or email. This includes all update appointments, referrals, client concerns and issuing of benefits. 

Each office can be reached by phone or email please see the Office Locations section of the Ontario Works – Social Assistance page on the Durham Region website.

Ontario Works clients will continue to receive their monthly payments (via direct bank deposit, reloadable payment card or cheques). To apply for Ontario Works, you can start the application online.

Cheque pick-up dates for Ontario Works clients with No Fixed Address for April 2022 payments.

Cheques and reloadable payment cards for clients with No Fixed Address will be available for pick up the following dates and locations. Clients without proper identification to have their cheques cashed by the bank will need to get them stamped by Ontario Works staff at time of cheque pickup.

• Ajax Office: Thursday March 31, 2022 only between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Ajax Ontario Works Office, 140 Commercial Ave, Ajax.

• Oshawa Office: Thursday March 31, 2022 only between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Friday April 1, 2022 between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Oshawa Ontario Works office, C1A-200 John Street Oshawa.

• Whitby Office: Thursday March 31, 2022 only between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Friday April 1, 2022 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Regional Headquarters 605 Rossland Road East, Whitby - Garden Street entrance only.

• Clients will be expected to present valid ID (Driver’s license, passport, Birth Certificate, Ontario photo ID, etc.) 

Applications for Ontario Works financial assistance will continue online and through the provincial Intake and Benefits Administration Unit, which is available to complete your application Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The telephone application will take approximately one hour to complete.  

Toll Free: 1-888-999-1142

Visitors who have travelled outside of Canada or have COVID-19 symptoms should self-isolate as advised by Durham Region Health Department.

Suspended Services

The following activities will be suspended at this time:

• Employment services for clients facilitated at the Employment Resource Centre

In response to VAW shelters being at capacity and additional complications resulting from COVID-19 there is funding and supports available to help women access safe hotel/motel rooms. Victims of gender-based violence or trafficking who are in need of supports or emergency accommodation can call Victims Services at 905-721-4226 or Ontario Works in Whitby at 905-666-6239 during normal business hours.

Public Events and Meetings

Many Regional public events have been suspended until further notice. Please visit our event calendar for details on cancellations.

Regional Long-Term Care Homes and Adult Day Programs

Visitor restrictions, as well as absence restrictions for residents, are in place, following the guidance from the Ministry of Long-Term Care and Durham Public Health.

Please visit Durham Region's Long-Term Care Homes page for updates.

Regionally operated Adult Day Programs are suspended. 

Transit

Durham Region Transit (DRT) currently has a maximum bus load capacity protocol in place to facilitate physical distancing measures onboard. Please continue practising frequent hand washing and physical distancing, and respect onboard protocols and signage. More information can be found at durhamregiontransit.com/COVID-19.

Effective September 28, DRT’s Phase A service plan delivers increased frequency and availability of service with a three-pronged approach:

1. Frequent network providing 15 minutes or less wait times on weekdays, from 07:00 to 19:00, on high-volume corridors.
2. Grid network with 30-minute or less wait times, seven days a week, on north-south and west-east cross roads.
3. New On Demand service replacing local routes that continue to experience low ridership, offering service to customers in these areas when and how they need it: stop-to-stop within a zone, facilitating connections to frequent and grid routes, or to the local GO station or bus terminal.

If you have any questions about how to get where you need to go, or about our updated policies, please reach out to our Customer Service team at 1-866-247-0055 or use our Customer Comment form to find the DRT transit solution for you.

Waste Collection

• Ensure all garbage is bagged and securely tied, even if it is in garbage cans.
• Ensure all green bin organic waste is bagged in 100 per cent compostable bags.
• Any loose garbage or loose organics will not be collected.
• Recycling must be loose inside your Blue Box, not in plastic bags. Recycling set out in plastic bags will not be collected.
• Residents are asked not to approach collection staff and to respect the physical distance of two metres (six feet).
• Please put your used gloves in the garbage.  Please do not litter!
• Please put sanitizing wipes and hygienic wipes in the garbage, not down the toilet.

Waste Management Facilities:

Leaf and yard waste is no longer accepted at our waste management facilities. Please take advantage of the free curbside leaf and yard waste collection. Check your collection calendar for collection dates.

To ensure we can continue operating, while ensuring the health and safety of both our employees and residents, we’ve implemented the following measures at our Waste Management Facilities (WMF):

• To limit on-site activity, the WMFs will be queueing vehicles and only allowing a small number of vehicles on-site at a time.
• WMFs are no longer accepting cash payments. VISA, MasterCard or debit only.
• Staff have discontinued issuing inbound customers with paper tickets for specialty items.
• Staff are practicing physical distancing and are requesting residents to do the same.
• Staff continue to wear personal protective equipment (PPE).
• The WMFs continues to receive daily cleaning and disinfecting. High volume touch and common areas are disinfected, with a special focus on the debit/credit machines.
• The WMFs have supplies to ensure cleanliness, including hand sanitizer and cleaning products.
• The WMFs are limiting the number of people on-site at one time.
• The WMFs are following all Health and Safety protocols and staff are provided daily Health and Safety updates, especially as it pertains to personal safety and handwashing.
• The WMFs have increased the distance of the Hazardous waste drop-off table between residents and staff.
• Residents will be required to show proof of residency when using our Waste Management Facilities.
• Leaf and yard waste is no longer accepted at our WMFs. Please take advantage of your free curbside leaf and yard waste collection services.

The WMFs are open Tuesday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Water and Water Billing

In person payments are not currently being accepted. Find out more ways to pay your water bill. 

Important notice: Durham Region recognizes the impact of COVID-19 on our customers and we can offer payment flexibility for customers unable to pay their water and sewer bill on time.  For more information, please call us at (905) 666-6211 or 1-800-465-6611 or email WaterBilling@durham.ca.

The York Durham Regional Environmental Lab remains open for drinking water testing.