Thursday, April 9, 2020 – 4:45pm 

COVID-19 PANDEMIC UPDATE #18 – CITY OF NELSON

Nelson, BC – “Nelson usually welcomes tourists, but we do not want visitors coming here this weekend or until things improve. We promise to invite you back when it is safe to do so.” says Mayor Dooley. “We don’t want to see the virus spread and we don’t want to put extra pressure on our hospital. So if you know someone that is planning to visit this weekend, tell them to please stay home.”  

Message from Mayor and Council: 

Mayor and Council would like to remind the community that with the warmer weather and an increase in people enjoying the outdoors, we need to give fellow pedestrians a wide berth. Give each other at least 2 metres (6ft) of space, not only when at the grocery store, but even when we are outdoors. It is okay to go for a bike ride, run or walk in the sun, but keep your distance. We encourage you to wave hello to your friends and neighbours, but please do this also from a distance.

While the entire Nelson health care community is working hard to prevent and respond to COVID-19, many people may be reluctant to seek care for non-COVID-19 related health concerns. Primary health care providers in our community are reassuring us that they continue to offer their medical services. If you have a health concern, please reach out to a doctor or mental health care professional, so they can help you. You can also contact a registered nurse at Healthlink BC by calling 811 to assess whether you require a physician. 811 Health Link: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/about-8-1-1

If you are experiencing anxiety, the Province has recommended these two resources:

Anxiety Canada: https://www.anxietycanada.com/ 

BounceBack BC: https://bouncebackbc.ca/

British Columbia and Alberta Minsters Issue Joint Statement Regarding Long Weekend Travel

Adrian Dix, Minister of Health for British Columbia, and Tyler Shandro, Minister of Health for Alberta, have issued the following joint statement:

“Albertans and British Columbians have deep and historic ties. Many of us have family and friends on both sides of the border and enjoy visiting each other’s province.

“A typical long weekend is something we look forward to throughout the year. It’s a chance to spend a little extra time with our loved ones, often in gatherings or on trips out of town.

“This long weekend is different. These are extraordinary times. A global pandemic puts us all at risk – and we all must stay home, stay in our communities and stay at a safe physical distance from others when outside.

To read the full media release: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020HLTH0127-000665 

New Virtual Mental Health Supports for COVID-19 on the Way: 

Premier John Horgan announced today that an additional $5 million dollars will be allocated to help British Columbians manage stress and anxiety through access to virtual mental health resources. Enhanced virtual services will help all British Columbians with mental health needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on adults, youth and front-line health care workers. The funding will also increase access for Indigenous communities and those living in rural and remote parts of the province. It will provide more options for people living with mental health challenges who are currently unable to access in-person supports.

To read the full media release here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020MMHA0009-000655

Provincial Applications Open for Temporary Rental Supplement: 

Renters who are experiencing a loss of income during the COVID-19 pandemic can now apply for the Province’s new temporary rental supplement

To read the full media release here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020MAH0050-000669

The BC Government has provided the following information today: 

COVID-19 Cases:

• Total cases in BC to date: 1370
• 626 in Vancouver Coastal Health
• 508 in Fraser Health
• 82 in Island Health
• 130 in Interior Health (No Change)
• 24 in Northern Health
• Total recovered cases in BC: 858
• Total new cases in BC: 34
• Total fatalities in BC to date: 50
• Total cases in Canada to date: 20,765
• Total fatalities in Canada to date: 532

  

When Needed - Shop Safe & Shop Local: 

Shop only when needed and only send one person from your household. If you do have to go out to a store for supplies, please see our useful tip sheet:

https://www.nelson.ca/DocumentC…/…/3983/Shop-Local-Shop-Safe 

Nelson & Kootenay Lake Tourism manages an online list of businesses that are open / closed. To find out what businesses are operating around town visit the following link:

https://www.nelsonkootenaylake.com/news

For general information about the City of Nelson and COVID-19 you can visit:

https://www.nelson.ca/covid19

 

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Reminders: 

Which businesses are open in Nelson? 

https://www.nelsonkootenaylake.com/news 

To apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit Program, visit: https://www.canada.ca/…/s…/benefits/ei/cerb-application.html or call 1-800-959-2019 or 1-800-959-2041

To help provide important information to our community, the City of Nelson has developed a dedicated webpage nelson.ca/covid19 that will be updated frequently as new information becomes available. Please sign-up for ‘City News’ on NotifyMe to receive automatic updates from the City via text or email.

The City of Nelson relies on Interior Health, BC Public Health, and the Federal Government for information related to the virus itself. If you believe you are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, please contact your physician, or call the COVID-19 telephone line at 1-888-COVID19, to be assessed or call the testing clinic hotline at (250) 551-7500 to be triaged for testing. Symptoms of COVID-19 include coughing, fever, sore throat, and difficulty breathing. These symptoms may not present themselves for up to 14 days, but you may be a carrier of the virus; therefore it is important to follow the guidelines set out by the health experts. 

To check your symptoms or get updates from the BC Government you can download the BC COVID-19 App or visit this website

News and information about the spread of COVID-19 is coming at us quickly. It can be hard to remain calm given all that is going on. Stress, anxiety, and depression are not unusual for people of all ages. But there are things we can do as individuals and collectively to deal with stress and support one another during these challenging times. Visit the managing stress website here.  

For additional mental health resources, please visit: 

Anxiety Canada : https://www.anxietycanada.com/

BounceBack BC : https://bouncebackbc.ca/

We thank you for doing your part to help maintain a safe and healthy community and for understanding the importance of this evolving situation. 

Information from the BC Center for Disease Control on COVID-19 

Media Contact: 

Ginger Lester, EOC Information Officer glester@nelson.ca

 

 

 

 

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