Evening News Update for May 6 2020

📸 Premier outlines plan to restart B.C. safely with Health Minister Adrian Dix, and Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry / via Province of BC Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

NANAIMO—Extended families will be able to hug and lovers and friends will soon be reunited under the province's "Re-start Plan" for the COVID-19 pandemic. The new normal, announced by the Premier will allow people to expand their social circles, and for many businesses to open, but with caution. Starting on the May long weekend, people will be allowed to host small social gatherings with a recommended half dozen guests. The Provincial Health Officer has released a list of to-dos, including screening guests for symptoms and structuring the get together by telling guests to wear masks, or stay six feet apart, or to gather outside, and to plan for how to properly clean before and after their arrival. Dr. Bonnie Henry says families will likely want to hug and she has no problem with that. But she says people need to think about the repercussions of their actions in expanding their circles and their responsibility to not show up if they show any signs of flu or cold, no matter how mild. If you are in a vulnerable group, she advises to think about whether and how you may or may not expand your social circle or attend events.

Schools will also be allowed to open more classrooms. The Premier says no one will be forced to return to school. The idea is to offer space to students who are struggling or who need supervision because their parents are returning to work. Also starting in mid-May, some health care services will resume, including the thousands of surgeries that were cancelled, to make beds available for surges in COVID-19 patients. Chiropractors, dentists, physiotherapists, speech pathologists and in-person counsellors will be allowed to reopen their doors, so will many other businesses, but they will have to have COVID-19 plans in place. Currently, industry associations are working with provincial health officials on those plans. They will cover hairdressers, barbershops, restaurants and pubs as well as museums, art galleries and libraries. Each business must publicly display its plan and must be approved by their industry associations and WorkSafe BC. Provincial parks will be open for day use, starting May the 14th, and many parks will reopen for overnight camping on June the 1st, but the Premier is asking British Columbians to not travel great distances to get to them.

If case counts continue to stay low, the next phase of loosened restrictions will begin in July. They will include the reopening of hotels, spas, resorts and movie theatres, along with the resumption of film production and some sports. Dr. Henry says it’s highly unlikely that nightclubs and casinos will reopen, and conventions and large concerts will definitely not be allowed.

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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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