Here’s the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic in Surrey, White Rock and beyond for Wednesday, June 24:
• As COVID-19 rewrites the playbook on various aspects of society – from best business practises to social interactions to government intervention – the current state of job losses have left many wondering if now is the time to test a universal income benefit.
• Surrey city council is expected to consider a motion Monday calling for the cancellation of city fees related to restaurants setting up patio spaces, to help them weather the economic storm caused by the pandemic. It will also consider a second motion aimed at giving local Business Improvement Associations a helping hand.
• B.C.’s low COVID-19 infection rates are leading Canada and residents are prepared for in-province travel and the opening of resorts and hotels, Premier John Horgan says.
• Kate and Brian Chong couldn’t have known they would become parents during a pandemic, but they were more prepared than most for a difficult pregnancy.
• The number of Canadians who are food insecure has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey from Statistics Canada has found.
• New statistics show 21 people were apprehended by the RCMP crossing into Canada from the U.S. in May, despite the shutdown of the border.
• A poll released Wednesday (June 24) found that 20 per cent of workers feel “very comfortable” returning to their workplace. Another 43 per cent feel “somewhat comfortable,” 24 per cent felt “not very comfortable” and 12 per cent felt “not at all comfortable.”
• Authorities in some provinces ramped up often arbitrary law enforcement to help curtail the COVID-19 pandemic rather than rely on a purely public health approach, according to a report out Wednesday.
• Thousands of Canadians working for technology companies or multinational corporations in the United States could be affected by a new ban that freezes the issuance of temporary work visas until the end of the year.
• Canada’s housing market is headed into a period of “severe declines” in sales and construction, but the full effect of COVID-19 on real estate is far from certain at this point, according to a new report by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.
• Two-thirds of Canadians don’t want to relax physical distancing rules imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19, a new poll suggests.
• It hasn’t been flagged as a prevalent issue for all business leaders, but some Semiahmoo Peninsula restaurateurs are saying the $2,000 per month Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) has made it difficult for them to call employees back to work now that they’ve re-opened to dine-in customers.
• Daycare centres are reopening after months of shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and they’re trying to find creative ways to help children better understand physical distancing.
tholmes@peacearchnews.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
