Morning News Update for May 4 2020

📷 Chief Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry / via Province of BC Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

NANAIMO—BC's Provincial Health Officer is reminding workers returning from an Alberta oilsands project to obey her order to self-isolate for 14 days, and for their families to be very vigilant in practising safe physical distancing. Dr. Bonnie Henry says 15 workers from the Kearl Lake oilsands project, who live in BC, are infected with COVID-19. And she says now some family members of those workers have also tested positive for the virus. Henry says since the Alberta worksite remains open, workers will continue to travel back and forth. She is asking those workers and their families to monitor themselves very closely and if any show signs of the virus no matter how mild, to stay apart and report symptoms to their doctor or 8-1-1. Henry underlined her message with a diplomatic finger wag, saying "It is far too easy to tip the scales against us and to undo the hard work and sacrifice that everybody here in BC has made. We cannot afford to have any missteps as we look to ease our restrictions in the coming days and weeks."

This afternoon, Dr. Henry and the Minister of Health will give present more data about who is being infected with the virus along with some models about what the future may hold.

Students and teachers from across the country are busting their musical chops today, with a series of performances called "Music Monday." Normally, this event is a series of live concert performances at venues across Canada. This year it is moving online to help people maintain physical distancing. Students from over 100 B.C. schools, including Nanaimo's Ecole Pauline Haarer Elementary, will take part. The event is being live-streamed YouTube and on Facebook, with BC performances starting at 3:30 this afternoon. To find out more see coalitioncanada.ca.

The Circle K convenience store on Departure Road is closed indefinitely after a flare was set off in the store on Saturday night. Nanaimo RCMP allege two 16-year-old boys walked into the store at around 9 PM and selected a few items. Before leaving, one of the teens fired a “single tube flare” in the direction of a Circle K employee. The flare ignited merchandise and forced the employee out of the store. RCMP Constable Gary O'Brien says the boys were identified through security footage and are "known to police." They have not been found. O'Brien says the clerk was traumatized and police continue to search for the suspects.

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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.

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