Wednesday, May 13, 2020 – 4:30pm
COVID-19 PANDEMIC UPDATE #41 – CITY OF NELSON
Town Hall with Premier Horgan and Dr. Bonnie Henry
On, Tuesday, May 12th, the Premier and Dr. Henry hosted a virtual Town Hall where they answered some pressing questions from the public related to the BC Restart Plan. They both reiterated the public should not expect “business as usual” on May 19th as this is a “potential date” for re-opening as each business owner must look at their own circumstances and how they can safely operate while following industry-specific guidelines and amended public health orders that will be coming out in the next few days.
Some Questions Asked:
When asked “When will ICBC road tests resume?”, the Premier indicated that there was not specific timeline set, but that ICBC was working on a plan that will be implemented slowly and in a focused manner in order to ensure the health and safety of both the student and the examiner. ICBC is looking at a variety of options, including the possibility of plexiglass barriers in the vehicle. Final guidelines and details will be provided when available.
When asked “How can hair salons safely open on May 19th?” Dr. Henry said that she will be issuing a revised order in the coming days that will allow for personal service establishments to re-open. However, she has no expectation that every hair salon and other personal service business would open up on the 19th, as each business will have to adapt to the guidelines set out by Public Health and WorkSafeBC. The public should not assume that every salon will be open immediately as they will each have work to do in their establishments to meet the new requirements.
When asked “How can servers stay 2ft away from a table?” Dr. Henry indicated that it has more to do with how much time a server is at a table, as opposed to the distance. Servers should not stand too close to the restaurant patrons and chat. She added that other variables such as physical barriers and good ventilation will help make short encounters less risky. The Premier also weighed in on the topic of restaurants, and said the BC Restaurant Association has been working for weeks in anticipation of restaurants re-opening “because they know and understand that if people are going to come into their establishments, they will want to be safe”. Premier Horgan said that restaurant owners know their business best, and it is important to leave them to work with Public Health and WorkSafeBC to manage how they re-open safely.
Take the COVID-19 BC Survey
*As of Noon today, May 13th, approximately 75,000 BC residents have participated in the survey.*
The Provincial Government in collaboration with the BC Centre for Disease Control and other public health officials have developed a COVID-19 survey for BC residents. Both Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister Adrian Dix are encouraging everyone to take the time to fill out the survey, as it will provide valuable information and help inform decisions going forward.
The purpose of the survey is to learn more about our communities’ general knowledge and perceptions of risk around COVID- 19, and how the current environment around us may affect our health and wellness, and our lives in general. This survey is the first of several activities that will strengthen our pandemic response and our understanding of the impacts of COVID-19 to date (social, economic, mental wellness and community wellness). The survey takes approximately 10-15 mins to complete.
For those who cannot complete the survey online, or need assistance in another language, you can call
1-833-707-1900 toll-free to take the survey over the phone. Assistance is available seven days a week between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (Pacific Time), in 150 languages.
To take the survey, please visit:
http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/covid-19-survey
Federal Government Opens up Emergency Benefit Program to Students
If you are a student or recent graduate, the Government of Canada has launched the Canada Emergency Student Benefit to help you get through the next few months. You will get $1,250 a month from May to August with this benefit, and if you are taking care of someone or if you have a disability, that amount will go up to $2,000 per month.
You will be able to apply for this support starting Friday. To prepare for the application process, if you have not already signed up for ‘My Account’ on the Canada Revenue Agency website, be sure to do so.
Sign up here:
https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/e-services/e-services-individuals/account-individuals.html?fbclid=IwAR28eNdLnv9qMsZr9I281Oj_34P_3fcO6r7l0b6OXFuuHae9S79VV35f7jQ
The BC Government has provided the following information today:
COVID-19 Case Statistics:
- Total cases in BC to date: 2376
- 877 in Vancouver Coastal Health
- 1037 in Fraser Health
- 125 in Island Health
- 180 in Interior Health (No new cases in 24 hours)
- 57 in Northern Health
- Total fatalities in BC to date: 132 (1 death in 24 hours)
- Total new cases in BC: 16
- Total people recovered in BC: 1859
- Total cases in Canada to date: 71,486
- Total fatalities in Canada to date: 5,209
Important Resources & Information – COVID-19
To view BC’s Restart Plan: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/public-safety-and-emergency-services/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/gdx/bcs_restart_plan_web.pdf
Which businesses are open in Nelson?
https://www.nelsonkootenaylake.com/news
B.C. Government Resources List for Support and Information during COVID-19
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/covid-19-provincial-support
Supports for Businesses in BC: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/employment-business-and-economic-development/business-management/small-business/covid-19_small_business_supports.pdf
Wellness Together Canada https://ca.portal.gs/
Anxiety Canada https://www.anxietycanada.com/
BounceBack BC https://bouncebackbc.ca/
Here2Talk for Post-Secondary Students https://here2talk.ca/home
Psychological First Aid – Over 19+ https://www.psychologists.bc.ca/covid-19-resources
Crisis Line Association of BC – 1-800 suicide (1 800 784-2433) - 24/7
www.crisiscentre.bc.ca - 24/7 - crisis and suicide intervention
Mental Health and Information Support Line - 310-6789 (no area code required)
Kids Help Phone – 1-800-668-6868
www.kidshelphone.ca or text connect to 686868 - 24/7
Helpline for Children - 310-1234 (no area code required)
www.youthinbc.com - 24/7
VictimlinkBC – 1-800-563-0808 - 24/7
information, referrals. Immediate crisis support
HealthLinkBC - 811 or www.healthlinkbc.ca
For seniors looking for additional support at this time, call 211 or visit:
www.bc211.ca
Interior Crisis Line Network – 1-888-353-2273 - 24/7
Nelson Transition House – (250) 354-4357
24/7 - Specifically for women leaving or struggling in, an abusive relationship.
Nelson Police Department Victim Services – (250) 505-5657
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 B.C. Government you can download the BC COVID-19 App or visit this website
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 B.C. Center for Disease Control on COVID-19
Media Contact:
Ginger Lester, EOC Information Officer glester@nelson.ca