Evening News Update for May 8 2020

📸 Fir Street Alert Bay / via David Stanley Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

NANAIMO—There has been one more death from COVID-19 in BC since yesterday. The person lived in the Fraser Health region. There are 29 new cases of the virus, including one in Island Health. In a written statement, BC's Provincial Health Officer referred to Mother's Day as a time to love and honour. Dr. Bonnie Henry wrote: "For now, avoid any close physical contact unless your mother is in your immediate household. And if your mother is older, awaiting surgery or has an underlying illness, celebrate at a safe distance. Give your mother the gift of staying safe and healthy."

Alert Bay will lift its local emergency order at midnight. The order was put in place in early April, in an effort to stem a COVID-19 outbreak. The order included a 9:30 PM till 6 AM curfew and banned all but essential travel to and from Cormorant Island. 30 people tested positive for the virus in a community with a population of 1500. A 59-year-old woman from the 'Namgis nation died from COVID-19. The Mayor of Alert Bay believes his community has "turned the corner." Dennis Buchanan says his community got serious about obeying health orders after the death of the elder. The Mayor says all but three people infected have now recovered. One person remains in hospital.

British Columbia's unemployment rate has more than doubled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are more than 400,000 British Columbians out of work, and that does not include those who have stopped looking for employment. BC's unemployment rate for April is 11 and a half per cent. Pre-pandemic, that number was five per cent. BC's Minister of Finance says most of the job losses are in the food and wholesale/retail sectors. Carole James says she is hoping employment numbers will improve with the gradual reopening of those businesses. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 13 per cent. Three million Canadians are out of work. Today, the Prime Minister reacted to the jobless rate by announcing the federal wage subsidy program will be extended past its June the 6th end date. No further details were revealed. The program covers 75 per cent of employees' pay, up to $847 a week. The goal is to keep workers on the payroll during the pandemic.

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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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