Evening Update for April 10, 2020

Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister of Health Adrian Dix. 📷: Province of British Columbia (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

NANAIMO —Five more people in BC have died from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours. All of the deaths were on the lower mainland, bringing the provincial total to 55. There were 40 new infections reported, including two in the Vancouver Island Health region. The total number of cases here is now 84, province-wide, there are 1410.

The COVID-19 outbreak at the medium-security Mission prison continues to grow. There are 20 inmates and three guards who are sick with the virus. That is double the number from yesterday and the largest outbreak at any prison in Canada. The Mission Penitentiary has been in lockdown since Wednesday.

There are some encouraging numbers related to the pandemic. 879 people have recovered from the virus. 128 people remain in hospital, 11 of whom are in the Island Health region. 403 people are recovering at home.

Despite calls to stay at home this weekend, BC Ferries is reporting heavy traffic on most of its routes. The Islands Trust has asked people who are not island residents to stay away. Many communities do not have doctors or health centres available and locals are concerned about being overwhelmed. Travellers returning from outside of Canada are now required to file self-isolation plans that must be approved by Border Service Agency officials. A federal quarantine order means travellers must self isolate for 14 days, whether or not they are showing symptoms of the virus. Those who do not have a plan, including arrangements for others, get their groceries or pick up their pets, will be taken to quarantine centres until they do.

If all this self-isolation is getting you down, you can get help online. Bounce Back BC offers an online course to take care of your mental health. You can also arrange for one to one counselling on its website. Another site recommended by BC's Provincial Health Officer is AnxietyCanada.com If your faith is keeping you going, most churches and many temples are offering services online. Faith leaders in BC are encouraging their members to worship at home.

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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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