Wednesday, April 8, 2020 – 4:45pm
COVID-19 PANDEMIC UPDATE #17 – CITY OF NELSON
Nelson, BC – “As we welcome British Columbians back home, we must stay vigilant and do everything we can to stop the spread of COVID-19,” said Premier John Horgan in reference to a number of repatriation flights and those still returning from the southern US.
New Measures Support Returning British Columbians, to Boost Response COVID-19
The Province, in partnership with the Canadian Border Services, is directing people repatriating to BC, to provide a formal detailed plan to self-isolate when they reach the Canadian border. The Premier said these returning travellers need to join us in the battle that we have been waging by having a concrete plan on how they will self-isolate upon arrival home to BC.
To read the full media release: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020PREM0019-000657
The Premier also stated, that with the long weekend approaching and warm weather, this is not the time for people to be travelling outside their communities to visit secondary vacation homes or cottages. He also reminded BC, that as the weather across the province is expected to be pleasant, we must resist the desire to visit friends and family who are not living in our household.
All BC Provincial Parks Closing Before the Long Weekend
As the long weekend approaches, the BC Government has closed all provincial parks to the public. They have extended the ban on all camping in provincial parks until May 31, 2020. This in alignment with neighbouring jurisdictions and the temporary closure of Canada’s national parks. BC Parks reports that while many people are observing the physical distancing requirements set by the Provincial Health Officer, some continue to ignore the order, making enforcement in a wilderness setting challenging.
To read the full media release: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020ENV0019-000645
Faith Based Communities Being Asked to Connect Virtually The Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix are asking that all faith based communities celebrate in a new, virtual way and avoid physically gathering as it poses a risk to all of us. Dr. Henry says that “We are in the thick of it right now. It is not time to let up at all.” She again emphasized the importance of staying home this weekend, with those in your home, and not take any unnecessary trips or visiting others
Mayor and Council want to remind our community not to let our guard down.
Mayor and Council understand this is a difficult time for our community and want to thank everyone for doing their part. We are seeing a flattening of the curve in B.C., but it only takes one outbreak to derail all the important gains we have made. Please, continue to stay home, go out only when necessary, practice physical distancing, send only one family member to get your supplies, wash your hands frequently and connect with your loved ones virtually.
The BC Government has provided the following information today:
COVID-19 Cases:
Total cases in BC to date: 1336- 615 in Vancouver Coastal Health
- 487 in Fraser Health
- 81 in Island Health
- 130 in Interior Health (increase of 2)
- 23 in Northern Health
- Total recovered cases in BC: 838
- Total new cases in BC: 45
- Total fatalities in BC to date: 48
- Total cases in Canada to date: 19290
- Total fatalities in Canada to date: 432
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Reminders:
Which businesses are open in Nelson?
https://www.nelsonkootenaylake.com/news
To apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit Program, visit: https://www.canada.ca/…/s…/benefits/ei/cerb-application.html or call 1-800-959-2019 or 1-800-959-2041
To help provide important information to our community, the City of Nelson has developed a dedicated webpage nelson.ca/covid19 that will be updated frequently as new information becomes available. Please sign-up for ‘City News’ on NotifyMe to receive automatic updates from the City via text or email.
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.
To check your symptoms or get updates from the BC Government you can download the BC COVID-19 App or visit this website
News and information about the spread of COVID-19 is coming at us quickly. It can be hard to remain calm given all that is going on. Stress, anxiety, and depression are not unusual for people of all ages. But there are things we can do as individuals and collectively to deal with stress and support one another during these challenging times. Visit the managing stress website here.
We thank you for doing your part to help maintain a safe and healthy community and for understanding the importance of this evolving situation.
Information from the BC Center for Disease Control on COVID-19
Media Contact:
Ginger Lester, EOC Information Officer glester@nelson.ca
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