Though she considers herself fortunate to still have employment as a plumber and HVAC technician, Vanessa Newman’s workload has significantly diminished since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her job requires access to people’s homes, which is happening much less these days.
She has struggled to pay rent for her Vancouver apartment on time. Not being able to see friends regularly has also led to a decline in her mental health, which started during the first lockdown.