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COVID-19 likely part of B.C. life until summer

B.C. residents urged to continue practising physical distancing

British Columbia’s provincial health officer said she expects the novel coronavirus pandemic will continue to impact daily life until the summer followed by a potential second wave of the virus in the fall. Dr. Bonnie Henry said Tuesday the search for a vaccine is a top priority because it will stop COVID-19 from spreading.…

Squamish middle school teachers raps her students back to class

Grade 7 Don Ross teacher Sophie Demers took a lighthearted approach to greeting her class online

Sophe Demers, a Grade 7 immersion teacher at Don Ross Middle School in Squamish is adjusting her lessons to an online format, as are all teachers during this pandemic. This is the way she greeted her students back to (online) classes this week.…

North Shore cops cancel April Fools’ prank (but they’re letting us see it anyway)

It’s April Fools’ Day but, frankly, no one is in the mood for being fooled right now. Weeks ago, the North Shore’s two police agencies planned a co-ordinated April 1 prank for the rest of us.…

Revised 75% wage subsidy pegged at $71b

Finance Minister Bill Morneau also clarifies some of the eligibility requirements

The federal government’s newly revised 75% wage subsidy now has a price tag attached to it: $71 billion. Finance Minister Bill Morneau confirmed the cost Wednesday (April 1), while clarifying part of the sum will be buffered by reduced costs associated with the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).…

B.C. courts suspend non-essential operations

Measures taken to preserve open courts principles, handle urgent-essential cases

B.C.’s Supreme Court and Appeal Court have suspended operations except urgent and essential matters to protect the health and safety of court users and to help contain the spread of COVID-19, the courts chief justices said. “The court plays a fundamental role in our constitutional democracy and must provide access to justice on the most urgent matters at all times,” Appeal Court Chief Justice Robert Bauman said.…

Trudeau urges recall of Parliament to pass more COVID-19 measures

Among those measures is Ottawa’s newly revised 75% wage subsidy

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is urging the recall of Parliament to pass more economic measures to manage the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among those measures is Ottawa’s newly revised 75% wage subsidy, which the government has not yet revealed a cost estimate for.…

Google skips annual joke on April Fools Day

Google announced they are skipping out on April Fools’ Day pranks this year because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The giant tech, known for its elaborate April Fool’s Day jokes, will be stepping back this year from jokes this year “out of respect for all those fighting the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to memo obtained by Business Insider.…

You little weasel!

The Whistler Biodiversity Project has seven species of weasel on record

Have you ever used “weasel” to describe someone? Or wondered how you were going to “weasel your way out” of something?…

Small businesses are feeling the effects of COVID-19

Federal, provincial governments looking to keep employers and workers afloat

After a slower-than-anticipated 2019 summer wedding season, Kathryn Watters of Pemberton-based Cheese Box Photo Booth was sensing a bounce back coming in 2020.…

Horgan announces public-private partnership to supply healthcare centres

B.C. premier extends state of emergency and reminds the province that social distancing measures are the law

B.C. Premier John Horgan’s address to the province Tuesday night announced the extension of B.C’s state of emergency and the development of a new partnership between the province, businesses and B.C.’s tech sector. The goal of the partnership is to connect B.C. companies to healthcare centres in need of supply..…

Number of seniors’ care homes in B.C. with positive COVID-19 cases jumps to 19 from 13 overnight

Provincial authorities have only identified 12 of the 19 care homes, and most outbreaks are a single case

What happened: The number of seniors’ care homes in B.C. that have recorded at least one case of COVID-19 in a worker or a resident has jumped by nearly half overnight, to 19 from 13. Seven remain unidentified.…

Local hospital bed, ventilator availabilities unclear

Health officials clearing beds for pandemic response

The COVID-19 pandemic will require intensive care units and ventilators in the province’s hospitals, but a Glacier Media investigation has found that British Columbians are receiving unclear or inadequate information to let them know the local availability of those resources. Those numbers continue to be released on a regional level, leaving communities unsure of local resource availabilities.…

U.S. troops not heading to Canadian border amid pandemic

There are reports that U.S. troops will not be mobilizing near the Canadian border, despite the possibility arising last week. The Richmond News reported last week how Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government was in talks with the Trump administration to ensure the Canada-US border remained un-militarized.…

What to Do When Your Running Event Gets Postponed or Canceled

health.usnews.com – Usually, when a race is postponed or canceled, it’s relatively easy to sign up for another one. Maybe you have to delay stepping up to the start line by a week or two, or you can sign up for a simila…

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Judge, lawyers discuss how Meng Wanzhou extradition hearings will move forward during pandemic

Court seeks ways to accommodate social distancing measures

BC Supreme Court is looking at ways to proceed with the extradition hearing of Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. CFO Meng Wanzhou despite social distancing measures in place to combat the spread of COVID-19. According to court documents, Meng and her lawyers – as well as Crown prosecutors – met via teleconference with associate chief justice Heather Holmes on Monday to discuss ways the hearings would continue.…