Afternoon News Update for April 24, 2020

📷 Cutthroat Trout. / Photo via Province of British Columbia (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).

NANAIMO—Hunters and anglers in BC will be allowed to pursue their passion, thanks to the Provincial Health Officer. Hunting and fishing has been declared an essential service. However, participants can only hunt and fish locally, where permitted by local authorities. Federal and provincial parks remain closed. They can only travel and hunt or fish with members of their family, or others they live with, all the time, remaining two meters apart. In its news release, the BC Wildlife Federation says it lobbied hard for the designation and promises to continue to press the province to open its parks so that British Columbians have access to outdoor areas to give them a physical and mental reprieve from the effects of COVID-19.

The federal government is offering rent relief to small business owners, whose businesses have closed or whose revenues have dropped by 70 per cent due to COVID-19. But the plan hinges on the cooperation of commercial property owners. The property owner will be given non-repayable loans for 50 per cent of the rent if the property owner agrees to cover a further 25 per cent. The small business owner would pay the remaining 25 per cent. Property owners must also agree not to evict the small business. The rent relief scheme applies to rent for April, May and June. The federal plan will be jointly funded with the province. Non-profits and charities also qualify.

COVID-19 numbers released yesterday show four more deaths, bringing BC's total to 94. That represents five per cent of all positive test results. There were 29 new cases of the virus province-wide, totalling 1824. There was one new case added in the Island Health region, totalling 111. However, more than 60 percent of those who caught the virus have recovered. In the Island Health region, that means 80 people have recovered. 23 people are recovering at home, and five in hospital, including one in critical care. Three people in the Island Health region have died from the virus. We'll have today's numbers on our 6 pm news update.

Buyers crashed the Fluevog shoe website yesterday, within minutes of the Dr. Bonnie Henry model going on sale. There were 200 pairs of the Dr. Henry offered, at $339 dollars each. All of the proceeds will go to FoodBanks BC. Buyers will have to wait until the end of the summer before receiving a pair of the two-tone pink Mary Jane style pumps that are inscribed with Henry's words, "Be Kind, Be calm, Be Safe."

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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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