Daily update for Friday, April 17 on the COVID-19 pandemic in Surrey, White Rock and beyond. It will be updated as information becomes available:
• Minister of Health Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry have announced 43 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the province’s total to 1,618.
• A little more than half a million dollars worth of equipment is needed to help with COVID-19 care at Surrey Memorial Hospital.
• The Forest Products Association of Canada says the demand for toilet paper has skyrocketed — increasing by 241 per cent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Starting Monday (April 20), people flying to and from Canadian airports will be required to wear masks in the latest move by transport officials to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
• B.C.’s top doctor say the province could begin lifting social contact restrictions in the province in the middle of May, but warns that life won’t be the same until there is a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
• With waste and recycling services impacted in some communities due to the pandemic, BC Conservation says vigilance is more important than ever to keep bears at bay.
• B.C. continues to see encouraging signs in its efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus causing COVID-19 illness, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says.
• BC Care Providers Association has launched a #TellThemYouCare web portal where the public can send messages, including hand-written notes, video links, drawings and other expressions of love and support to seniors.
• White Rock council has authorized the use of part of an uptown parking lot for a midday meal program for homeless people on the Semiahmoo Peninsula, with social-distancing lines to discourage congregation of recipients and minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
• With ears perked across the country for when health officials will begin easing the strict measures in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19, Canada’s top doctor is reminding the public that tiding the virus is not a sprint, but a marathon.
• Sharp words have been directed at the federal government over Mission Institution’s COVID-19 outbreak by local MPs, Indigenous leaders and civil rights groups.
• A licenced B.C. childcare provider has opened its doors to new families recently, especially those who work in essential services.
• While most movie theatres in B.C. have closed to adhere to a provincial health ban limiting large gatherings, Aldergrove’s outdoor Twilight Drive-In has expanded its hours.
• From the classroom to the living room: a B.C. homeschooler has advice for parents.
• The first payments from a $73-billion federal wage subsidy program are to flow by the end of the first week of May, acting as a buttress against the economic shock from COVID-19.
• A staff member at North Fraser Pretrial Centre in Port Coquitlam has tested positive for COVID-19.
• Delta Mayor George Harvie is asking the province to support local media hit hard by the economic troubles brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• B.C. recorded 14 more COVID-19 positive tests April 16, for a total of 1,575 cases since the novel coronavirus pandemic began.
• Have an uplifting story or video to share? Black Press Media has launch the #WereInThisTogether campaign, as a way to showcase the feel-good stories of resilience and compassion that people need now more than ever before.
• A Chilliwack family found a creative way to help a local organization that feeds students, after a major fundraising event had to be cancelled due to the pandemic.
• Many Canadian high school seniors who may have to miss out on prom and graduation ceremonies this year as the coronavirus outbreak continues may start turning to virtual celebrations to recreate these rites of passage from the safety of their homes.
• A Surrey printing business has started selling eight-foot banners to thank frontline health-care workers, while also raising money for the Surrey Hospital Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund.
• Senior podcasters are taking on tech to stay connected with each other and the world.
• Facebook to start warning users who ‘liked,’ reacted to or commented on posts that contained misinformation about the coronavirus.
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