Mayor and Council would like thank all local businesses (including non-profit organizations) for the sacrifices they are making to help us all get through the COVID-19 pandemic. The Nelson and Area Economic Development Partnership (NAEDP), which includes our partners, the Nelson & District Chamber of Commerce and Community Futures Central Kootenay are partnering with the City on this business outreach project. Along with a volunteer coordinator, we are combining our resources, to create a business outreach team to touch base with every single one of our local businesses and non-profits.

The goal of this outreach project is to:

1. To make sure businesses are aware of the assistance that is available to them;
2. To help businesses navigate federal, provincial and other programs to obtain the best possible assistance for their particular circumstances;
3. To understand what other support businesses require to get through this pandemic; and
4. To work with the business community to ensure our local economy will recover from the effects of the pandemic.

All businesses should look for an email coming from the Business Outreach team. If your business has not received this email, please send an email to businessoutreach@nelson.ca with your current contact information.

Valuable Information and Support for Businesses in BC: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/employment-business-and-economic-development/business-management/small-business/covid-19_small_business_supports.pdf

The BC Government has announced that temporary relief is on the way from the new B.C. Emergency Benefit for Workers (BCEBW) for British Columbians whose ability to work has been affected by COVID-19. 

This one-time, tax-free payment of $1000 for British Columbians will further help people concerned about paying bills and making ends meet during the pandemic. Most people who are eligible for the federal Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) are also eligible for this benefit, including those who have run out of EI benefits. 

To be eligible for the BCEBW, people must:

• have been a resident of British Columbia on March 15, 2020;
• meet the eligibility requirements for the CERB;
• have been approved for the CERB, even if they have not received a benefit yet;
• be at least 15 years old on the date of application;
• have filed, or agree to file, a 2019 B.C. income tax return; and
• not be receiving provincial income assistance or disability assistance.

The application process opens on May 1, 2020 at www.gov.bc.ca/workerbenefit.

To read the full media release: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020FIN0023-000743

Ottawa Announces New Support for COVID-19 Medical Research and Vaccine Development

Today, Prime Minister Trudeau announced $1.1 billion in support of a national medical research strategy to fight COVID-19 that includes vaccine development, the production of treatments, and tracking of the virus. This new funding builds on the $275 million investment for coronavirus research and medical countermeasures announced in March.

To read the full media release: https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2020/04/23/prime-minister-announces-new-support-covid-19-medical-research-and

BC Government & School Staff Help Students Stay Fed While In-class Instruction Suspended

To ensure vulnerable students do not face barriers to learning while in-class instruction is suspended, B.C.’s school districts are finding innovative ways to provide families with more than 75,000 healthy meals a week. Premier Horgan says “No student should ever have to go without food, whether they’re learning in class or at home. Our government is proud to help BC school districts provide families with more than 75,000 healthy meals a week.” He added, “Despite the challenging times we’re living in, school-district staff have partnered with local non-profits & businesses to ensure kids and their families are getting the nutritious food they need, no matter where they live or learn.” 

The Government of B.C. provides $53.2 million through CommunityLINK (Learning Includes Nutrition and Knowledge) annually for the province’s 60 school districts to support vulnerable students with services that include meal programs. Teachers, education assistants, administrators and school support staff are putting together weekly grocery hampers for families, delivering food boxes and bagged lunches to homes and setting up designated hubs for meal pick-up. Some school districts are also providing grocery store gift cards and vouchers, while others have formed partnerships with caterers, non-profits, restaurants, local businesses and food banks to support vulnerable families. More than 16,000 families are receiving these services throughout the province.  

To read the full media release: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020EDUC0032-000734?fbclid=IwAR3PDbOAocWzVHX3yI1IEP3n4jL41n44FtTgvWGv8-aAJ4FrNzQKu75x0ko

The BC Government has provided the following information today:

COVID-19 Case Statistics:

• 755 in Vancouver Coastal Health
• 760 in Fraser Health
• 111 in Island Health
• 156 in Interior Health (Increase of 3 cases in 24hrs)
• 42 in Northern Health
• Total recovered cases in BC: 1092
• Total new cases in BC: 29
• Total fatalities in BC to date: 94 (Increase of 4 in 24 hrs)
• Total cases in Canada: 41,762
• Total fatalities in Canada: 2141

Important Resources & Information – COVID-19

Which businesses are open in Nelson? 

BC Government Resources List for Support and Information during COVID-19

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/covid-19-provincial-support   

Supports for Businesses in BC: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/employment-business-and-economic-development/business-management/small-business/covid-19_small_business_supports.pdf  

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

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

BounceBack BC  https://bouncebackbc.ca

Psychological First Aid – Over 19+  https://www.psychologists.bc.ca/covid-19-resources

Crisis Line Association of BC – 1-800 suicide (1 800 784-2433) - 24/7
www.crisiscentre.bc.ca - 24/7 - crisis and suicide intervention

Mental Health and Information Support Line  - 310-6789 (no area code required)

Kids Help Phone – 1-800-668-6868
www.kidshelphone.ca or text connect to 686868 - 24/7

Helpline for Children - 310-1234 (no area code required)

www.youthinbc.com - 24/7

VictimlinkBC – 1-800-563-0808 - 24/7
information, referrals. Immediate crisis support 

HealthLinkBC - 811 or www.healthlinkbc.ca 

For seniors looking for additional support at this time, call 211 or visit:

www.bc211.ca

Interior Crisis Line Network – 1-888-353-2273 - 24/7

Nelson Transition House – (250) 354-4357
24/7 - Specifically for women leaving or struggling in, an abusive relationship.

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

Information from the BC Center for Disease Control on COVID-19

Media Contact:

Ginger Lester, EOC Information Officer glester@nelson.ca