Here’s the latest news for Surrey, White Rock and beyond for Wednesday, April 8. This will be updated as new information becomes available.
• Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says B.C. has had 45 new COVID-19 cases and five more deaths in the past 24 hours.
• White Rock is closing its promenade as of Friday (April 10).
• A pair of popular South Surrey beach-access staircases have been closed to the public in a continued effort to halt the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
• About 200 young Muslim volunteers throughout the Lower Mainland, including Surrey, want to get a simple message out to people who cannot leave their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic – you’re not alone.
• Along with nearly everyone else these days, the Urban Safari Rescue Society is staying open online.
• There are now 11 inmates at Mission Institution who have tested positive for COVID-19.
• B.C. and federal officials will be checking people’s written self-isolation plans when they enter B.C. at a U.S. land border crossing or at Vancouver International Airport, and if they’re not approved they will go into quarantine for 14 days, Premier John Horgan says.
• More British Columbians than ever have been turning to pet adoption amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the B.C. SPCA.
• Sikhs may not have a parade in Surrey to help them celebrate this year but through a new initiative called Virtual Vaisakhi, they will still be honouring the sacred holiday’s spirit of seva.
• The B.C. government has announced an emergency relief fund for parents and guardians of children with special needs during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
• Air Canada says it will apply for Ottawa’s emergency wage subsidy program and retain or rehire employees who have been laid off due to the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The City of White Rock is waiting on senior levels of government for more guidance on what relief can be provided to city taxpayers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Celebrating Easter during a pandemic presents challenges enough. But Christian churches in Surrey are rising to the occasion.
• Canadians are urged to include pets in their COVID-19 emergency plans, including who will care for them if their owner is hospitalized.
• The B.C. government announced this morning (April 8) that all provincial parks – including Peace Arch Park in South Surrey – are “immediately closing” due to the pandemic.
• Coquitlam RCMP say that a man who was arrested for an alleged break and enter is now facing a series of charges – including deliberately coughing on a group of police officers.
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