Here’s the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic in Surrey, White Rock and beyond for Wednesday, May 13. This will be updated as information becomes available:
• B.C. has recorded 16 new cases and one additional death due to COVID-19, Dr. Bonnie Henry said on Wednesday (May 13).
• A mobile meals program created in Cloverdale to feed the community’s vulnerable during the pandemic has expanded, thanks to the support of a local foundation.
• Staff members from many schools around B.C. have made videos for their students to try and cheer them up during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The B.C. government is moving ahead with cleanup and securing of more than 1,200 “dormant” or “orphaned” natural gas and oil wells, using federal funds to provide some industrial work in B.C.’s northeast region during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• As dry-grad events cancel, a Cloverdale caricaturist draws on digital biz.
• Delta firefighters are encouraging local students to use their creativity to thank those working hard to help others during these challenging times.
• White Rock council has endorsed the gradual re-opening of 22 parking spots, adjacent to Finlay Street on East Beach, plus half a lot adjacent to Bayview Park on West Beach – both for residents only – with a 30-minute pay parking limit.
• While many proms across Canada have been cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new event is giving graduating teens a chance to celebrate.
• Canada’s chief public health doctor says Canadians in communities where COVID-19 is still spreading should consider wearing non-medical masks when they can’t stay physically distant from others.
• The B.C. Centre for Disease control has launched an online survey to measure the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s work, health and habits, and the level of “community immunity” to the novel coronavirus.
• NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says all Canadians should have access to two weeks of sick leave benefits as provinces start moving to reopen their economies.
• As the federal government gears up to deliver relief measures for hard-hit industries, smaller airlines worry they’ll be left out.
• Canada’s prime minister called collaboration with his U.S. counterpart “exceptional” during a briefing Wednesday (May 13) but did not commit to extending border restrictions past next week.
• A made-in-Surrey silver pendant has been crafted as a thank-you to first responders, with proceeds to charity.
• B.C.’s top doctor tried her hand at dating advice this week, as she was peppered with questions about what single people, who have endured months in isolation, could do as the province began to move to its new normal.
• Students and recent graduates will be able to apply for emergency benefits starting Friday (May 15).
• With the Victoria Day long weekend (May 16-18) looming, White Rock council wants to get the message out that the city is still closed to visitors until the province formally enters the relaxed restrictions of phase two of pandemic response.
• The ongoing pandemic is bringing an extra layer of concern for search and rescue groups across the province.
• Health Canada says it has authorized the first COVID-19 serological test for use in the country to detect antibodies specific to the virus.
• The Better Business Bureau says puppy scams are the latest way fraudsters are taking advantage of lonely, isolated people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• As the B.C. economy gets ready to reopen, both the Cloverdale District Chamber of Commerce and the Cloverdale BIA are taking steps to help businesses get going again.
• Hockey parents unsure about the future of minor hockey with COVID-19.
• While this summer’s Pacific National Exhibition is cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vancouver fair’s popular prize home will still be given to one lucky lottery winner.
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