Noon Update for March 26th, 2020.

NANAIMO —British Columbians who hoard or try to resell food, cleaning supplies, medicine or protective equipment like masks could face fines or jail time. The Minister of Public Safety has issued a series of emergency orders he says are intended to protect the supply of goods needed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mike Farnworth says municipal bylaw officers have been given the power to enforce these orders as well as previous orders on social distancing.

Starting now, retail stores must restrict the number of items, like cleaning supplies, that shoppers can buy, in order to prevent hoarding. Retailers and suppliers must now report to the province on their inventories of personal protective equipment. A newly formed Provincial Supply Chain Coordination Unit will have the power to redirect any of those supplies to where they are needed.

In an effort to build capacity, municipalities have been ordered to identify any publicly owned buildings that could be used as centres for self-isolation, testing, medical care warehousing and distribution. Earlier this week, BC's Provincial Health officer said the supply of masks, gloves and medical supplies is running low.

Dr. Bonnie Henry will update the infection rate in BC later this afternoon. As of late yesterday, there were 659 cases of COVID 19, including 47 on Vancouver Island.

The iconic Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria is closing its doors due to the Coronavirus outbreak. A notice on its website says the closure is temporary but offers no date for a possible reopening. The union representing its workers says 480 workers have been laid off as a result.

A Canadian comedian is encouraging people to sing a Tragically Hip song today in an effort to boost morale during the outbreak. Joey Elias is suggesting people sing the song "Courage" from their balconies, rooftops, porches or bedrooms at 3 pm Pacific Time today. Elias says he picked the Hip because they're a band that has united the country in the past. Last Sunday Montreal musician Martha Wainwright organized a sing-a-long of the Leonard Cohen song "So long, Marianne."

To hear more on how the Corona virus epidemic is effecting students and social services in Nanaimo, check out the podcast edition of Students in the Know.

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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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