Morning News Update for May 12 2020

📷 Nanaimo Regional General Hospital / CHLY file photo

NANAIMO—The Island Health region continues to show declines in the number of new cases and the number of people in hospital because of COVID-19. BC saw 23 new cases over the weekend, but none in Island Health. There was one death, but it was not reported where that occurred. 130 people including five in the island health region have died from the virus. There is only one person in hospital in this region, compared to 66 people province-wide. And currently, there are only eight active cases of the virus in the Island Health region.

Airlines and airports are feeling the financial pinch from this pandemic. Vancouver International Airport has announced it is laying off one-quarter of its 550 employees who work in airport operations, engineering, finance, HR and administration. The Airport Authority expects passenger numbers will continue to decline from 26 million passengers per year to between 8 and 15 million passengers annually for the next few years. Airlines are also reacting to a dramatic drop in passengers by dropping some of their flights. Westjet and Air Canada have suspended their Nanaimo to Vancouver flights and Air Canada has also suspended its flights from Nanaimo to Calgary until July. Air Canada says it will not resume its seasonal flights from Nanaimo to Montreal and Toronto until 2021. Both airlines say anyone who has booked flights before those dates will be refunded.

Meanwhile, BC's Provincial Health Officer says while borders will remain closed to international travellers for the foreseeable future, talks are underway to allow reunification of families, who have been living apart since mid-March. Currently, spouses who are not Canadian citizens have been prevented from living in this country during the pandemic. Dr.Bonnie Henry says officials recognize this is a hardship that can be eliminated soon.

BC's Independent Investigations Office is looking into another incident involving the Nanaimo RCMP. The most recent incident involves a woman who was arrested under the Mental Health Act on March the 18th. Police were called to the Gateway Mental Health Housing facility to attend to the woman who was described as "agitated and uttering suicidal threats." The woman claims she suffered a leg injury as a result of her arrest. The IIO says it will investigate whether police action or inaction led to what it calls "serious harm to the female." Last month, the IIO recommended charges involving the use of force against a Nanaimo police officer for "serious injuries" of a woman who was arrested on December the 2nd. Crown counsel has not yet decided whether to lay charges in that case.

Featured

Lisa Cordasco

Senior Reporter and News Director — Lisa is responsible for creating the station's first morning news current affairs show on CHLY. She is also deeply involved in training and mentoring student and citizen journalists who volunteer their time at the station. Before joining CHLY, Lisa spent 35 years in various roles at CBC Radio, from host to reporter. Her passion for journalism and radio has led her to Nanaimo, where she intends to provide CHLY listeners with news they can use, in an alternative radio environment. Her other not-so-secret passion is costuming for any occasion.

Have a tip? Email: news@chly.ca Find us on social media at Twitter: @lisacordasco / @chly1017FM

Funded by Sustaining Donors and the Community Radio Fund of Canada and Heritage Canada’s Local Journalism Initiative. Sustain CHLY’s News Department for many years to come by signing up for a monthly Sustaining Donation.