MLA REPORT: Community well-led by trusted expertise of the province

Andrew Weaver is MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head

B.C. Green Party leader Andrew Weaver answers questions following the budget at Legislature in Victoria on Tuesday, February 19, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

B.C. Green Party leader Andrew Weaver answers questions following the budget at Legislature in Victoria on Tuesday, February 19, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

In these extraordinary times, I am very heartened to see how our community has stepped up in so many ways in response to the serious health situation we all face. Local efforts by individuals and organizations are making an enormous difference in our ability to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Countless acts of selflessness and kindness are helping our neighbours and those who are vulnerable or health-compromised in the community. We are all in this together.

It is imperative that we all follow the directions of experts. We have excellent leadership and trusted expertise from our Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and BC Minister of Health Adrian Dix. Their daily updates are providing the best information that we can rely upon to guide us forward. I have been incredibly impressed by the non-partisan cooperation of my colleagues in the BC Legislature and indeed, political parties across Canada, as we deal with unprecedented challenges.

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We are in a unique time in history where everyone in the world is experiencing the same thing at the same time. This pandemic has no boundaries, political, social or geographical. As we follow the advice of our experts, how we conduct ourselves as individuals will determine our success at flattening the curve, which will enable our health care system to keep up with the demand for services in the coming weeks and months. Everything we do as individuals makes a difference.

Protecting ourselves protects others. By staying home unless absolutely necessary, we are protecting the health of those who are providing us with essential services. So please ask yourself, with every action you take: Am I doing everything I can to stop the transmission of this disease?

While we remain hopeful that the efforts made individually and collectively to slow the transmission of Covid-19 are beginning to pay off, we must remain vigilant every minute of every day. The decisions we make will directly affect the outcome for everyone, especially the health of our frontline workers. We owe a great deal of gratitude for the brave and dedicated people who go to work every day to protect our health and provide the services we need to survive.

My constituency office continues to respond to inquiries and requests for assistance.

You can reach us by email at andrew.weaver.mla@leg.bc.ca or by phone at 250-472-8528

I am also posting regular updates on my MLA website andrewweavermla.ca.

Please stay up to date with the latest information from local news outlets and updates provided by the government of BC by visiting the website BC Gov News, as well as Island Health News and the BC Centre for Disease Control.

Thank you to everyone for doing your part to keep our community healthy and safe.

Andrew Weaver is MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head

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