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The Board of Trustees, at their September 2020 meeting, created a Committee of two Trustees to act at the Member Appeals Committee to handle member appeals. The Committee meets every two or three months to deal with the appeals received. Below are the rules and procedures for appeals to be dealt with by the Committee: 1. Initial Appeal Process Where a member's claim is denied in whole or in part by the initial OEBAC or NexgenRx adjudication, the member will have the right to file a written appeal and send to OEBAC via email, mail or fax. Appeal forms are available on the OEBAC website. Appeals will first be reviewed by OEBAC staff to ensure that it complies with the OEBAC rules and that no technical error has been made. If the matter is not resolved, it is then referred to the Appeals Committee and the member will be notified of this by OEBAC. All appeals are in writing only. There will be no in-person hearings. 2. Matters that May be Appealed Not all claims or eligibility decisions may be appealed. The Committee will NOT deal with: appeals involving short-term or long-term disability claims as these are determined through medical expertise and any disputes must be dealt with through the Courts; claims that do not involve insurance and health benefits as these may not lawfully be covered by the Plan; any claim where the member has exceeded the maximum available for that category of claim (other than drug claims) or where the claim can reasonably be covered through the member's Health Care Spending Account; and situations where the member has exceeded the lifetime maximum. All other decisions of OEBAC may be the subject of an appeal and the Committee has discretion in dealing with such matters, subject to the terms of the Plan documents. 3. Decisions of the Appeals Committee All decisions of the Committee are final and binding on the member and the Plan. There are no further avenues of appeal. The Committee through OEBAC shall provide brief reasons to the member for its decision. Decisions and names of applicants shall not be disclosed for privacy reasons. Decisions in any one case shall not create precedents for other cases. With respect to any appeal, the Trustees may: allow the appeal in whole or in part on such terms as it determines are appropriate; reject the appeal; or refer the matter to the full Board of Trustees if the issue involves a matter of policy or precedent that, in the view of the Committee, requires attention of the full Board. Where necessary, the Committee may utilize the advice of the Plan Trustees, consultants, or legal counsel. To learn more about the Appeals Committee and/or the process, please email us at info@oebac.org.

Please note that the Local 793 Emergency Relief Grant (phase II) expired on December 31, 2020. However, any retroactive claims can still be made up until the deadline of February 28, 2021 through the 793 Portal on the Union website.

Dear Member, As part of the ongoing review of our health benefits plan, the Trustees have been monitoring the use of Best Doctors by our members and their families. The review revealed low use of this program compared to other valuable benefits our plan offers. As a result, the Trustees decided to end participation in the Best Doctors and the program has been terminated as of December 31, 2020. The Trustees are committed to ensuring that the Trust is prudently managed and that resources are allocated to the benefits that bring the most value to our members. This is in part why Local 793 adopted the Members Health Program earlier this year and why the Trustees will continue to assess the effectiveness of programs on an ongoing basis. How will this change affect me? Any cases started on or before December 31, 2020 will be covered under the plan. Best Doctors will continue to review open cases and answer questions beyond December 31, 2020 until these cases are resolved. For more information For more information on Members Health, please visit https://www.members-health.com/ If you have any other questions, please contact OEBAC at info@oebac.org Joe Redshaw Acting Executive Director Operating Engineers Benefits Administration Corporation (OEBAC)

The Board of Trustees are pleased to advise the following improvements to the Active and Retiree Life & Health Benefits Plans: Active Plan: Behavioural Therapy for Children with Autism OEBAC has updated the Plan Provisions, as per the Trustees motion to increase psychology benefit to $4,000.00 for behavioural therapy for autism only and set the effective date September 16, 2020. Fertility Coverage Change the name of the benefit from Fertility Drugs to Fertility Treatment. That both the member and their spouse covered within the existing fertility expense be allowed within the current maximum effective January 1, 2021. Kinesiology Since Kinesiologists are registered health professionals, services rendered by a Kinesiologist will be covered under the Physiotherapy benefit, with no change to the annual maximum effective January 1, 2021. Continuous Glucose Monitoring Device (G6 Dexcom) G6 Dexcom will be covered under the Plan with a reasonable and customary maximum of $4,000. It should be backdated to cover recent appeals, to allow those moving from Freestyle Libre System to G6 Dexcom to be covered. Increase the lifetime maximum of Orthodontic Services Maintaining the same formula, OEBAC will increase the lifetime maximum to $5,000.00 effective January 1, 2021 on new treatments. Retiree Plan: Kinesiology Since Kinesiologist's are registered health professionals, services rendered by a Kinesiologist will be covered under the Physiotherapy benefit, with no change to the annual maximum effective January 1, 2021. Continuous Glucose Monitoring Device (G6 Dexcom) G6 Dexcom will be covered under the Plan with a reasonable and customary maximum of $4,000. It should be backdated to cover recent appeals, to allow those moving from Freestyle Libre System to G6 Dexcom to be covered. For more information about the Life & Health Benefits Plan, Pension Plan and the Group Legal Plan, contact the OEBAC Member Call Centre at info@oebac.org or toll-free at 1-844-793-1919.

OEBAC COVID-19 BUSINESS CONTINUITY STRATEGY In early April, OEBAC developed a COVID-19 Business Continuity Plan. This Plan was designed to allow OEBAC to continue operating and avoid any interruptions due to COVID-19. The Plan details measures that are necessary to ensure uninterrupted service to members by focusing on the core functions of OEBAC. This is in order to ensure we optimize our limited resources working remotely. A key risk identified was the risk associated with benefits being paid by cheque. Payments could be delayed if we had limited staff able to work on premise and limited ability to print cheques. There is also the associated risk that these cheques would be delayed getting to members if there were disruptions with Canada Post. The Plan identified the risk of members’ claims being misplaced if mail is diverted from head office. With no ability to deal with members on a walk-in basis, all member inquiries, phone calls and emails need to be processed by our staff working remotely. Over the last few weeks, OEBAC enabled a reduced staff contingent to service members from home. To accomplish this, computers were purchased and new software technology was integrated. We are now operating remotely. However, operating more slowly than if we were in the office! Please be patient. We are asking that all members who are paying for their benefit coverage by cheque, to give us your banking information. Providing OEBAC with your banking information will allow us to automatically withdraw your pay-direct payments directly from your bank account rather than mail. Processing payments by cheque may be delayed as a result of OEBAC operating with reduced staff, not having the ability to process cheques while working from home, and the possibility of delays with Canada Post. We will not accept banking information over the phone. Read “Direct Deposit Banking” below for more on the quickest and easiest way of having your claims paid. BENEFITS PLAN ENHANCEMENTS In light of these difficult times, the IUOE Local 793 Life and Health Benefits Trustees are committed to supporting members who lose income due to the COVID-19 pandemic, above and beyond the benefits offered by the federal government. The Trustees recently announced benefit plan improvements for mental health coverage to ensure the wellbeing of our members by helping with anxiety and stress during this challenging time. Mental health coverage increased from $1,000 to $2,000 per year for active members and from $500 to $1,000 for retirees, retroactive to January 1, 2020. Services of a psychological assessment increased from $1,500 to $2,500 per year for active members, and from $500 to $1,000 for retirees, also retroactive to January 1, 2020. Members on short-term disability now receive a top-up increase from $573 (the maximum EI Benefit amount) to $800.00 per week, retroactive to March 15, 2020. If members are presently receiving short term disability benefits, the new weekly benefit will be $800.00 per week, less the amount received from El Sick-ness Benefits. Other improvements include: Continued benefits eligibility for members who would have become ineligible for benefits due to losing their job and/or dollarbank contributions on, or after, March 15, 2020. Those members will remain eligible from April to September 30, 2020. The IUOE Local 793 Health Benefits Plan will cover the benefits costs during this period if members meet the eligibility requirements. The COVID-19 Local 793 Emergency Relief Grant, a temporary income supplement related to COVID-19 for those who qualify for the federal Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), Canadian Recovery Benefit (CRB) or Employment Insurance (El) Program. Local 793's Supplemental Unemployment Benefit (SUB) Plan, the top-up benefit will be up to $250 per week, in addition to any EI benefits the member receives from Service Canada. This top-up will be available to members starting November 1st members for a maximum of 6 weeks (in a calendar year). The maximum SUB Plan top-up benefit is $1,500 per calendar year. For more details visit (https://www.oebac.org/sub-plan) ADAPTING THE BENEFITS PLAN TO THE NEW REALITIES To better support physical distancing, virtual paramedical and medical services are now an eligible expense under the IUOE Local 793 Health Benefits Plan. Eligible expenses are for a select group of services, provided the health care practitioner is licensed and registered in the province in which they are practicing, has an eligible qualification as determined by OEBAC, and is practicing within the guidelines of their governing body. OEBAC continues to monitor provincial guidelines about virtual care, which are quickly evolving. Based on information known today, we will consider claims for virtual appointments to be an eligible expense for the following practitioners, subject to the coverage terms of our plan: Speech Therapist Occupational Therapist Naturopath Physiotherapist Psychologist Psychotherapist Social Worker DIRECT DEPOSIT BANKING We are working hard at OEBAC to ensure that members are not going to experience any interruption in benefit coverage and pension payments. There could be delays in getting reimbursement payments to members if claims are submitted via paper form. Paper claims take more time to process and payment by cheque could be delayed. For those members on pay-direct, coverage could be suspended if your cheque does not make it into the Plan’s bank account in time. This is why we need your banking information. The quickest and easiest way of having your claims paid is for OEBAC to deposit your claim payment directly into your bank account. In that way, OEBAC does not need to incur the time and expense to print and mail you a cheque, and you are not reliant on mail delivery to receive your payment. In this way, we all observe social distancing and are not at risk of contagion! You can setup your banking information on the OEBAC mobile app, or by filling in a form and emailing it or faxing it to us. No paper please. We are working hard to observe social distancing and your support is greatly appreciated. Visit the Media page for more information on how to download the OEBAC mobile app. Please see these resources for more time-saving tips: How to submit a claim How to speed up claim payments How to check your claim status KEEPING HEALTHY: PHYSICALLY | MENTALLY | EMOTIONALLY One of OEBAC’s goals is to help members stay healthy in every way. This includes the health of the body – physical health, the health of the mind – mental health, and the health of our emotions – emotional health. It all comes down to exercise, eating well and sleeping well. Although the LCBO is deemed an essential service, drinking responsively is also part of keeping healthy. We have several suggestions to keep you healthy in every way:

Read the article on CBC news.

This morning, the federal government announced sweeping measures to help stabilize the economy as the country grapples with the effects of the response to the ongoing coronavirus response. The government is prepared to make up to $27 billion in spending available directly to Canadians, workers and businesses and will offer $55 billion in tax deferrals to boost financial liquidity. A specific breakdown of those measures is found below.   It should be understood, however, that the government remains focused on ensuring the operation of the country’s critical infrastructure and the flow of trade and commerce continues, despite all travel restrictions and impediments. Monday, the government announced the closure of Canada’s border to most travellers and today it was confirmed that the Canada-US border will now also be closed to non-essential traffic.  The government continues to explore solutions for responding to sectors and industries most acutely affected. Already, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has issued temporary exemptions to certain Air Passenger Protection Regulations, acknowledging the major impacts of COVID-19 on the airline industry and that the situation is out of a carrier’s control. Similarly, the CTA is staying all ongoing dispute proceedings involving air carriers so their resources can be appropriately directed to helping bring Canadians abroad home and implementing the new screening measures previously announced by the government.  Additional announcements detailing sector specific support for airlines, restaurants, retail and tourism businesses and the energy industry – specifically oil and gas – are expected very soon.  Many of the announced measures require legislative implementation and Parliament is set to reconvene temporarily on Monday, March 22 to pass the required changes. Tax deferrals, however, are effective immediately. Business Support Last week, the government announced a series of financing measures for businesses to help with credit and liquidity flexibility. Additional support announced today includes: Introducing a temporary wage subsidy for three months to employers in order to prevent lay offs Increase credit support to farmers and the agri-food sector through Farm Credit Canada. The Finance Minister will now have the authority to determine and increase limits for the Canada Account, an Export Development Canada (EDC) program that supports Canadian exporters. Tax Deferrals The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will defer the filing date for 2019 tax returns for individuals until June 1, 2020 and all income tax payment requirements until after August 31, 2020 There will be a temporary suspension of CRA post-assessment and audit activity. Income Support For those Canadians who are unable to work due to COVID-19 – whether they are ill, quarantined or required to stay home to care for children or someone who is sick – government will: Waive the waiting period and medical certificate requirements to claim EI benefits, effective March 15 Introduce the Emergency Care Benefit which will provide payments on par with EI benefits for workers who do not qualify for EI sickness benefits such as those who are self-employed or taking care of a family member and children Establish a $5 billion Emergency Support Benefit that will support Canadians who are not eligible for EI and who lose their jobs or face reduced work hours due to COVID-19’s impact Roll-out the EI Work Sharing Program that expands eligibility for EI benefits to workers who voluntarily reduce their working hours Provide an additional one-time and then double maximum payments for those low-income families who receive the Goods and Services Tax credit Increase the maximum Canada Child Benefit payment by an extra $300 per child Establishing a $305 million Indigenous Community Support Fund for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation communities Apply a six-month freeze on Canada Student Loan repayments, interest free Reduce Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIFs) minimums by 25% Provide a $157.5 million top-up to the Reaching Home initiative which supports those experiencing homelessness and up to $50 million to women’s shelters Credit and Mortgage Support Canada’s large banks have confirmed that, in addition to other support measures, there will be up to a 6-month payment deferral for mortgages and relief on other credit products The Canada Mortgage and House Corporation (CMHC) will also offer tools that include payment deferral, loan re-amortization, capitalization of outstanding interest arrears and special payment arrangements. Insured Mortgage Purchase Program (IMPP) will allow the government the purchase $50 billion of uninsured mortgage pools through CMHC.

Being prepared Although China remains the epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak, more countries are reporting cases. Some countries may not have the capacity to detect or contain the disease. This means global efforts to stop the spread of the disease may not be enough to prevent a pandemic (global outbreak). At this time, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has assessed the public health risk associated with COVID-19 as low for the general population in Canada but this could change rapidly. There is an increased risk of more severe outcomes for Canadians: aged 65 and overwith compromised immune systemswith underlying medical conditions While a COVID-19 outbreak is not unexpected in Canada, our public health system is prepared to respond. PHAC, along with provincial, territorial and community partners, continues to reassess the public health risk, based on the best available evidence as the situation evolves. In order to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19, everyone has a role to play. It takes more than governments and action from the health sector to protect the health and safety of Canadians. Each of us can help our country be prepared in the event of an emergency by understanding how coronavirus spreads and how to prevent illness. For individuals Canadians should continue to think ahead about the actions that they can take to stay healthy and prevent the spread of any illness, especially respiratory infections. Now and always during cold and flu season, stay home if you are sick. Encourage those you know are sick to stay home until they no longer have symptoms. Since respiratory viruses, such as the one that causes COVID-19, are spread through contact, change how you greet one another. Instead of a handshake, a kiss or a hug, a friendly wave or elbow bump is less likely to expose you to respiratory viruses. Practise frequent hand hygiene and coughing and sneezing etiquette. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces, such as toys and door handles. These are the most important ways that you can protect yourself and your family from respiratory illness, including COVID-19. For communities Social distancing measures are a way to minimize COVID-19 transmission in the community. This means minimizing close contact with others during the peak of an outbreak. In addition to staying home when ill, we should plan for actions we can take if we need to reduce the spread of infection in places where we gather. Some of the social distancing measures need extensive preparation, especially where large crowds are concerned. Community planners should prepare for: interruptions in social supports, reduction in public services like transit and access to community centres, financial consequences from the reduction of services or cancelled events. Planners, administrators and employers must work together to put into effect community-based measures. For schools and daycares School and daycare measures can range from simple (like increasing distancing between desks) to more extensive (like closures). Widespread school closures as a control measure tend to have a high economic and social cost. This is because school closures impact the many families that have one or both parents working outside of the home. Public health measures for schools and daycare are intended to provide a safer school environment by encouraging: personal protective measures, communication to teachers and parents, regularly cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces and objects like door handles, toilets and toys The following measures are alternatives to school or day care closures. Restrict access to common areas.Divide classes into smaller groups.Cancel or postpone after-school events.Increase desk distance between students.Be flexible with attendance policies for students and staff. Students and staff who show symptoms of COVID-19 should stay at home.Separate children on school busses by 2 metres where possible.Cancel classes that bring students together from multiple classrooms.Stagger the school schedule (lunch breaks and recess) to limit the number of students and children in attendance at one time. For more information on guidance for schools and day cares, refer to Public Health Guidance for Schools (K-12) and Childcare Programs (COVID-19). For workplaces Employers and employees have a role to play in reducing the spread of infection. Further information on preparing workplaces for COVID-19 (PDF) is available from the World Health Organization.

All publicly-funded schools will close from March 14 to April 5 The Ontario government is closing all publicly funded schools across the province for two weeks following March break due to concerns about COVID-19.Doug Ford's government said in a statement the move is "necessary to keep people safe" and based on the advice of Dr. David Williams, Ontario's chief medical officer of health. Schools will be closed from March 14 to April 5."We recognize the significant impact this decision will have on families, students, schools, as well as the broader community, but this precaution is necessary to keep people safe," the premier's office said in a statement. In an earlier news conference in Toronto on Thursday, health officials stopped short of discouraging people from travelling during March Break, but did ask anyone returning from travel to avoid public or group gatherings and to monitor themselves for symptoms. It's unclear how the extended break will affect other functions at schools, like child-care centres or other school-based programs.Ontario has 59 cases of COVID-19, with 17 cases, including one infant, being confirmed earlier today. View the article on CBC news.

Update on SHORT TERM DISABILITY BENEFITS in light of COVID-19 Pandemic. Under the IUOE Local 793 Life and Health Benefits Plan (the “Plan”), Short Term Disability Benefits are integrated with Employment Insurance (EI) and Plan Members must apply first for EI Sickness Benefits. Normally, a worker who qualifies for EI Sickness Benefits serves an unpaid one-week waiting period before a maximum of 15 weeks of EI sickness benefit payments start. For people quarantined due to COVID-19, the federal government announced on March 11, 2020 that the EI program waiting period will be eliminated, so qualifying individuals would get EI sickness benefits for the entire 14-day quarantine period. The federal government is also waiving the requirement for a medical certificate. However, the exact documentation that is required for claimants who go into quarantine as required by law or by a public-health official, is yet to be determined. The federal government has also determined that if you are put into quarantine as a precaution and aren’t sick but then test positive for COVID-19, a signed medical certificate confirming the diagnosis would be required to receive EI Sickness Benefits past the initial period of quarantine. These benefits could extend for a maximum of 14 weeks. If the COVID-19 virus extends past the claimants EI sickness entitlement, the Plan Member may be eligible for an additional 10 weeks of short-term disability under the Plan, provided medical documentation supports the extended benefits. What if I don’t qualify for EI Sick Benefits? For Plan Members who do not qualify for EI Sickness Benefits the denial letter from Service Canada is required, as well as, medical documentation confirming the diagnosis past the initial 14-day quarantine period. If you have any questions regarding entitlement to short terms disability benefits please contact the Disability Department at disability@oebac.org.

Extensive Planning to Prepare Province for All Scenarios March 12, 2020 12:12 P.M. Ministry of Health TORONTO — As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to evolve globally, Ontario is taking further action to ensure the province's health care system is positioned to continue to safeguard the health and well-being of Ontarians. Since being formally constituted, Ontario's new Command Table has been refining and finalizing plans for the implementation of enhanced measures to ensure the province is prepared to respond quickly and effectively to any scenario, including: Enhanced access to screening; Expanding lab-testing capacity; and Implementing new initiatives to keep the public and frontline workers safe. "Ontario's public health system continues to demonstrate remarkable responsiveness to COVID-19," said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. "While we have so far effectively contained new cases of this virus, we are relentlessly focused on planning for any scenario. We are actively working with our partners at all levels in the health care system to implement enhanced measures to ensure that we are prepared to protect the health of all Ontarians." Enhanced Access to Screening To rapidly expand screening and ease pressures on hospital emergency departments, Ontario will immediately establish a number of dedicated assessment centres in areas experiencing significant growth in testing. Some of the first waves of assessment centres will open in the next several days, including at William Osler Health System - Peel Memorial site, The Ottawa Hospital, North York General Hospital, Mackenzie Health, Scarborough Health Network, and Trillium Health Partners. These centres are located in dedicated spaces that will facilitate high-quality care, to protect broader patient populations. Additional assessment centres will be established across the province in the coming weeks. Regions without an assessment centre will continue to be serviced by their local hospital or primary care settings. Ontario has also approved new physician billing codes for telephone assessments, enabling doctors to conduct more assessments over the phone rather than in their clinic, helping to keep patients at home rather than in primary care settings where they would co-mingle with others. In the coming days, the province will also launch a new COVID-19 self-assessment tool on its dedicated web page (Ontario.ca/coronavirus). This new tool will take the public through a series of questions to help inform those who are concerned about having contracted COVID-19 about how they can seek care based on their needs. Ontario is working closely with Telehealth to ensure adequate support to handle increased call volumes and is committed to allocating additional resources as needed to ensure timely responses for Ontarians. In addition to continuing to review virtual care capacity, including further expanding Telehealth and encouraging virtual care uptake, the Command Table has initiated early planning for the implementation of at-home testing, all of which will support caring for people at home. Expanding Lab-Testing Capacity Working with Public Health Ontario and Ontario Health, the province is working to enhance laboratory testing capacity across the province to rapidly mobilize, monitor and coordinate COVID-19 testing. Laboratory testing is also being conducted on other respiratory samples from hospital emergency departments and long-term care homes in order to identify and quickly respond to any unknown cases of COVID-19. Protecting the Public and Frontline Workers To ensure Ontarians have access to credible and up-to-date information on how to maintain their health and the health of their families, Ontario has launched a province-wide public education campaign. The campaign, which includes search, social, print and radio ads on every-day steps Ontarians can take to keep themselves safe, is in addition to the resources available on Ontario.ca/coronavirus. This dedicated web page is now being updated twice a day (10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. EST), seven days a week, with relevant information on any new cases and includes fact sheets translated in nearly 30 distinct languages. As the global and local situation evolves, the Command Table will continue to evaluate the latest evidence to provide ongoing guidance to the public and providers. Ontario has issued updated guidelines to long-term care homes to ensure active screening for all staff, volunteers, family members, as well as new and returning residents, and will do so for retirement homes shortly. Ontario will continue to update guidelines for other health care facilities in response to the evolving situation. In addition to these extensive planning measures, Ontario is providing stability to municipalities as they complete 2021 budget planning by committing to extending one-time mitigation funding for an additional calendar year for the province's public health units. This action ensures that historical municipal adjustments remain capped at 10 per cent, and recognizes the considerable time and resources necessary for public health units to effectively respond to COVID-19. Extending mitigation funding would keep municipal funding levels for public health units in the calendar year 2021 at the same level as the calendar year 2020. This is in addition to the up to $100 million COVID-19 Contingency Fund announced yesterday. Quick Facts Last week, Ontario established a new Command Table to serve as a single point of oversight providing executive leadership and strategic direction to guide the ongoing response to this new virus. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more serious respiratory infections like bronchitis, pneumonia or severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). There is no vaccine available to protect against COVID-19, but there are every-day actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses. To find out more visit Ontario's website. ​ Additional Resources Visit Ontario's website to learn more about how the province continues to protect Ontarians from COVID-19. Learn about travel advisories related to the 2019 novel coronavirus. If you are a health care professional, learn how to protect yourself and your patients by reading our guidance documents.

As health officials and governments continue to combat COVID-19 (novel coronavirus), let us take a quick look at the new virus and how to prevent it from spreading. COVID-19 is an infectious respiratory illness that has flu-like symptoms. It has been compared to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) because they are both respiratory illnesses that come from different strains of the coronavirus. With all of the attention surrounding this new virus, we believe that it is important to provide our members with the most up-to-date information about preventing the spread of this virus. While COVID-19 has infected more people than SARS, 88 per cent of COVID-19 infections (80,303 people) are in mainland China. The second most infected country is South Korea with 4,812 infected people. Who’s at Risk? While we are all at risk, older adults and people with pre-existing health conditions are at an increased risk of becoming severely ill. People with pre-existing illnesses account for 75 per cent of COVID-19 deaths. Since COVID-19 is more dangerous for people with pre-existing conditions (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, hypertension, and cancer) extra precautions should be taken. For Local 793 members with pre-existing conditions, it is recommended to: 1. Ensure you have sufficient medications in case of quarantine; 2. Visit your doctor at the first sign of any symptoms; and 3. Stock up on food for emergency preparedness. In the unlikely event that Local 793 members are quarantined, they will be considered for Short Term Disability (STD) from the start of the quarantine period, provided you have been directed by a medical doctor or public health official. The usual adjudication process will be used. It is important to remember that while COVID-19 is an infectious disease, 96 per cent of people have recovered once infected. Use the tips provided to prevent the spread of the virus and stay healthy. All numbers in this report are from the World Health Organization (WHO) as of March 2/2020 References: “Advice for Public.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public. “Age, Sex, Existing Conditions of COVID-19 Cases and Deaths.” Worldometer, Worldometer, 29 Feb. 2020, https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-age-sex-demographics/ “Coronavirus Frequently Asked Questions.” MEDCAN, MEDCAN, 4 Feb. 2020, http://www.medcan.com/medcan-insights/news/coronavirus-faqs/ “Government of Canada.” Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), Government of Canada, 29 Feb. 2020, www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/frequently-asked-questions.html. “Summary of Probable SARS Cases with Onset of Illness from 1 November 2002 to 31 July 2003.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 24 July 2015, www.who.int/csr/sars/country/table2004_04_21/en/.