Emergency Operations Centre COVID-19 Update #41
By Contributor
Submitted by City of Nelson Emergency Operations Centre
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 time-line 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 two-foot 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 in to 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 COVID-19 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:
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.
Students will be able to apply for this support starting Friday. To prepare for the application process, if you haven not already signed up for ‘My Account’ on the Canada Revenue Agency website, be sure to do so.
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
