Afternoon Update for March 31st, 2020.

NANAIMO —The Prime Minister says more than 3000 Canadian companies are offering to make medical equipment to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Justin Trudeau says the government has signed deals with three companies, to make ventilators, surgical masks and test kits. Deals are in the works with five others, in an attempt to find supply chains closer to home. Ottawa has set aside $2 billion dollars to buy supplies from the world market. And, the government has temporarily eliminated tariffs and taxes on all goods imported by provincial health authorities.

Meanwhile, a company in Delta, BC is reaching out to schools that have 3-D printers to join a virtual production line for medical equipment. Tinkerine says it will supply schools with proper sanitation protocols. The finished parts would be sent to the company for quality assurance and sterilization before being delivered to hospitals and other medical facilities. It is currently producing face shields and hopes to expand to goggles and ventilator splitters. Schools can sign up at Tinkerine.com.

A Duncan man has created a Facebook group, that asks people to lend their RVs to first responders, who need to be quarantined from their families. Oakley Ryan is asking RV owners to either contact their local police, fire or ambulance to make the free offer or post their RV and location to the Facebook page RV's for 1st Responders.

Two couples from Nanaimo are hoping their ill-fated cruise will come to an end soon. Maggie Tilley, her partner David Andrews along with Elizabeth and Ron Pack were onboard Holland America Line's ship Zaandam when a COVID-19 outbreak began in early March. Four passengers died on the Zaandam. Tilley told the Vancouver Island Free Daily both couples and other health passengers were transferred to a sister ship, the Rotterdam last weekend. The ships have been travelling in tandem, heading to the coast of Florida. They are hoping officials in Fort Lauderdale will allow the ships to dock. They have been denied landing at ports along the coasts of South America since mid-March.

Canada's Chief Public Health officer is voicing concern over a big jump in national COVID-19 cases. Dr. Theresa Tam says there have been one thousand new cases of the virus confirmed in the past 24 hours, bringing Canada's total to 7,700. As of yesterday, BC was reporting 690 cases in total. Our Provincial Health Officer will update the numbers later this afternoon.

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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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