The Government of British Columbia has launched Here2Talk, a new mental-health counselling and referral service for post-secondary students. The service offers confidential, free single-session services by app, phone or online chat, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Here2Talk connects students with mental health support when they need it.

To read the full media release: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020AEST0024-000698

Experiencing Stress Associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic?  You are not alone. 

The British Columbia Psychological Support Service is offering “Psychological First Aid” telephone calls, free of charge, to any BC resident (19+) affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. These services are designed to help BC residents who are experiencing stress, anxiety, or uncertainty due to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic; this service is provided by individual psychologists volunteering their time to help the people of British Columbia.  To utilize this service, residents are asked to visit the website and provide information via a short fillable form; then a psychologist will contact you within 24-48 hrs.

To fill in the form and access services, follow this link: https://www.psychologists.bc.ca/covid-19-resources

COVID-19 Guidance for High-Risk and Essential Workplaces

To help high-risk occupations and essential services and industries work safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has developed a series of pandemic guidance tip sheets which are available on their website.

These pandemic (COVID-19) tip sheets offer guidance and good practices for specific occupations, industries and services, for both employers and workers. The sheets are intended to be used and customized by businesses and organizations to help protect workers from illness as well as prevent the spread of infection.

Customers on a monthly auto payment plan, who are facing financial challenges due to COVID-19, can defer their payment for up to 90 days with no penalty. If your account is not up to date, you are not eligible to defer payments, but ICBC will work with you to find a mutually agreeable solution.

ICBC services and information: https://www.icbc.com/about-icbc/contact-us/Pages/covid-19.aspx

Support Service Launched for BC Businesses 

Small Business BC (SBBC) has launched the BC Business COVID-19 Support Service. This support service serves as a single point of contact for businesses throughout the province looking for resources available from provincial and federal governments, industry and community partners during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Business support advisers are available Monday to Friday, from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Inquiries can be made at 1-833-254-4357, emailed to covid@smallbusinessbc.ca, or via a live-chat feature on SBBC’s dedicated website: https://covid.smallbusinessbc.ca

Read the full media release here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020JEDC0008-000700  

Province to Provide Financial Supports for Businesses and Local Governments

The Province of British Columbia will provide enhanced relief for businesses by reducing most commercial property tax bills by an average of 25%, while also implementing new measures to support local governments facing temporary revenue shortfalls as a result of COVID-19. Temporary property tax changes will help weather the pandemic, so that businesses and local governments can continue to deliver the valuable services people rely on as we look towards economic recovery. 

Read the full news release here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020FIN0020-000703 

Additional Support for Businesses from the Federal Government 

Prime Minister Trudeau announced more measures to help Canadian businesses get through the COVID-19 crisis, including expanded loan eligibility and assistance for commercial rent. The loan program will now be available to businesses with payrolls worth between $20,000 and $1.5 million, as opposed to the previous $50,000 threshold. He also announced a plan to help small businesses pay commercial rents for April, May and June. This plan will be worked out with the provincial leaders, as rent issues fall under provincial jurisdiction.

**Case statistics were not provided by the Province for April 16, 2020**

COVID-19 Cases for April 15, 2020:

• Total cases in BC to date: 1561
• 670 in Vancouver Coastal Health
• 623 in Fraser Health
• 92 in Island Health
• 146 in Interior Health (Up 5 cases in 24 hrs)
• 30 in Northern Health
• Total recovered cases in BC: 955
• Total new cases in BC: 44
• Total fatalities in BC to date: 75
• Total cases in Canada: 28379
• Total fatalities in Canada: 1058 

_____________________________________________________________________________

 Reminders: 

For mental health support, please visit: 

Wellness Together Canada : https://ca.portal.gs/

Anxiety Canada : https://www.anxietycanada.com/

BounceBack BC : https://bouncebackbc.ca/

Which businesses are open in Nelson? 

The City of Nelson relies on Interior Health, BC Public Health, and the Federal Government for information related to the virus itself. If you believe you are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, please contact your physician, or call the COVID-19 telephone line at 1-888-COVID19, to be assessed or call the testing clinic hotline at (250) 551-7500 to be triaged for testing.   Symptoms of COVID-19 include coughing, fever, sore throat, and difficulty breathing. These symptoms may not present themselves for up to 14 days, but you may be a carrier of the virus; therefore it is important to follow the guidelines set out by the health experts.  

We thank you for doing your part to help maintain a safe and healthy community and for understanding the importance of this evolving situation.

Media Contact:

Ginger Lester, EOC Information Officer glester@nelson.ca

####