Students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 will be able to return to their classrooms starting June the 1st, but that return will be voluntary and part-time. The Minister of Education says the part-time plan is necessary, to ensure safe physical distancing in classrooms; Starting Tuesday, all gyms, fitness centres, yoga studios and other personal training facilities will be allowed to re-open; If you must travel on BC Ferries Southern Gulf Islands to Vancouver route this long weekend you will have to make a reservation, whether in a vehicle or as a foot passenger.

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Three more people have died from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing BC's fatality count to 135. All were in the Fraser Health Region. However, there is some good news for that hard-hit health region. The Superior Poultry processing plant in Coquitlam has now reopened.

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There will be no rebates for BC drivers anytime soon. The Insurance Corporation of BC says the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown its budget projections and bottom line number in disarray; The Nanaimo Mayor's Task Force on Recovery and Resilience will hold its first meeting today. The 6 member group will provide strategic direction to council on how to best recover economically and culturally from the COVID-19 pandemic; The Premier is hoping his meeting with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman earlier this week, will lead to BC becoming an NHL hub this year.

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There has been another death from COVID-19 in BC over the past 24 hours, and once again, the death occurred at a long term care home in the Fraser Health region, bringing the province-wide death count to 132. There were 16 new cases of the virus, but for the sixth day in a row, there were no new cases in the Island Health region.

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British Columbia will begin the process of cleaning up 2200 orphaned or dormant oil and gas sites at the end of this month, thanks to a grant from the federal government. The Premier says BC has received $120 million dollars from Ottawa for the projects, that will employ 1200 workers; Search and rescue groups are sounding the alarm. The organization "BC Adventure Smart says BC recorded a 35 per cent spike in search and rescue incidents during the first week of May, compared to the same week last year.

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Hornby Island Fire Rescue says it was called out yesterday evening to tend to a patient with hypothermia as the result of an overturned boat; As more people are expected to head on to the water or into the backcountry this weekend, search and rescue groups are sounding the alarm; more.

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The Mayor of Nanaimo is standing behind his council's decision to borrow $44 million dollars to pay for $89 million dollars worth of capital projects in this year's budget. Leonard Krog says "it is precisely during this time of crisis that makes it exactly the right time to invest in infrastructure projects."

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Canada's poorest seniors will be getting a boost to their pensions, with a one-time payment of up to $500. The payment is to help offset extra costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The Island Health region continues to show declines in the number of new cases and the number of people in hospital because of COVID-19. BC saw 23 new cases over the weekend, but none in Island Health.

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The Island Health region continues to show declines in the number of new cases and the number of people in hospital because of COVID-19. BC saw 23 new cases over the weekend, but none in Island Health. There was one death, but it was not reported where that occurred. 130 people including five in the island health region have died from the virus; more.

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One person is dead and two others are in hospital as a result of an explosion at a marina near Victoria on Sunday afternoon; BC Ferries is already reminding potential customers to stay at home this coming long weekend. The ferry corporation says many communities, including those on the Southern Gulf Islands have issued advisories to travellers notifying them of limited supplies, healthcare equipment and resources; We will bring you the latest COVID 19 numbers on our next news update at 6 p.m.

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Some Nanaimo-area Farmers' Markets that closed at the start of the pandemic, are reopening again, but with a whole new set of rules. The Cedars Farmers Market opened on Sunday; New COVID-19 cases in the Island health region continue to decline; more.

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There has been one more death from COVID-19 in BC since yesterday. The person lived in the Fraser Health region; Alert Bay will lift its local emergency order at midnight; British Columbia's unemployment rate has more than doubled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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British Columbia's unemployment rate has more than doubled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. New numbers from Statistics Canada show 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; more.

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Two people have died from COVID-19 in BC and 33 more people have been infected with the virus in the past 24 hours; Overdoses from illegal drugs in the Island Health region saw a huge spike in March when 18 people died from overdoses. That's an 80 per cent increase from February; more.

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Thousands of cancelled surgeries will resume in BC hospitals, starting in a little over a week from now, but it will cost close to a quarter of a billion dollars to do it, and close to two years to catch up. The Minister of Health says over 14,000 scheduled surgeries were cancelled in mid-March, and 16,000 more from waitlists were put on hold to ensure hospital beds were available to treat COVID-19 patients.

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Extended families will be able to hug and lovers and friends will soon be reunited under the province's "Re-start Plan" for the COVID-19 pandemic. The new normal, announced by the Premier will allow people to expand their social circles, and for many businesses to open, but with caution. Starting on the May long weekend, people will be allowed to host small social gatherings with a recommended half dozen guests.

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Do you have something you'd like to say about how your private information is used? The province is reviewing its Personal Information Protection Act and it's calling for submissions. The Act governs how private-sector organizations collect, protect, use and disclose personal information; The Premier is about to speak about how the province will move into the next phase of its COVID-19 pandemic; There was a sombre ceremony today on the airfield at Canadian Forces Base Trenton.

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The Mayor of Nanaimo has enlisted the help of the city's business and social service leaders to create a plan to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic; The president of the BC Fruitgrowers Association says he's underwhelmed by a federal announcement aimed at assisting Canada's food producers; Two Nanaimo teenagers are facing charges of arson and theft, in relation to an incident where a flare was let off at the Circle K convenience store and gas bar on Sunday night.

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The Mayor of Nanaimo has enlisted the help of the city's business and social service leaders to create a plan to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic; The president of the BC Fruitgrowers Association says he's underwhelmed by a federal announcement aimed at assisting Canada's food producers; Two Nanaimo teenagers are facing charges of arson and theft, in relation to an incident where a flare was let off at the Circle K convenience store and gas bar on Sunday night.

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