The Nanaimo Ladysmith School District estimates just over half of its 15,000 students will return to classrooms, starting on Monday; Graduates of Vancouver Island University's Masters of Business Administration have been given the opportunity to help local businesses that are struggling, due to COVID-19; Cruise ships have been banned from Canadian ports until October 31st; This update is made possible, thanks to a grant from the Local Journalism Initiative of the Community Radio Fund of Canada, Heritage Canada and listeners like you. If you'd like to support and grow local news initiatives like this, please get on board with a sustaining donation at chly.ca/donate.

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Two more people have died from COVID-19 at the Langley Lodge long term care facility; Nine new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the past 24 hours; Outbreak at the federal medium-security prison in Mission is now over; Good news for farmer's markets in BC; A special report by the BC Forest Practises Board says government needs to better protect sensitive salmon habitat from sediment from road construction; Support local news, make a sustaining donation at chly.ca/donate.

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A shortage of temporary foreign workers has prompted the Ministry of Agriculture to launch a website, for jobs related to food production; Many Parks Canada sites are set to reopen for day use, starting on June the 4th; Nanaimo residents are reminded to round up their invasive plants in preparation for a free drop zone on Saturday; The BC Center for Disease Control wants to hear about your experiences with COVID-19; Support local news, by making a sustaining donation at chly.ca/donate.

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There are 9 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and one more death in BC over the past 24 hours. There are no new cases or deaths in the Island Health Region; The union representing grocery store workers says it is "shocked and disappointed" by Save-On Foods' decision to end its wage boost for employees as of Saturday; A new report from the BC Coroner's Service says there are three fatal drug overdoses every day in British Columbia, making it the highest for any jurisdiction in Canada. 117 people died from drug overdoses in April, including 20 in the Island Health Region; If you'd like to support local news, please consider making a sustaining donation, choose your monthly amount at chly.ca/donate.

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Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou has been dealt a blow by a BC Supreme Court judge today; More grim statistics show another increase in overdose deaths in BC; The Provincial Health Officer has put the kybosh on overnight summer camps for kids; A northern BC first nation has adopted the provincial health officer, in a ceremony held via Zoom last Friday; Support local news, please consider making a sustaining donation for as little as $3.50 a month at chly.ca/donate.

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Dr. Bonnie Henry says she is "extremely pleased to announce no deaths have occurred as a result of COVID-19 in BC in the past 24 hours." That's the first time that's happened in five and a half weeks; The uncertainty surrounding daycare in the age of COVID-19 will be a topic for discussion tomorrow afternoon at a virtual town hall meeting; It has not been a good year for the Nanaimo-based cannabis company Tilray; Support CHLY today at www.chly.ca/donate

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Nanaimo city council has passed several motions it hopes will jump-start the local economy. The city has agreed to allow restaurants, bakeries and cafes along Commercial Street to expand table service to the roadway. Businesses will be able to lease space on city-owned parking spots from now until the end of October; Council has also decided to allocate close to $200,000 to help deal with what it calls "social disorder issues.”; BC Ferries will resume service between Departure Bay and Horseshoe Bay on June 3. The route will start with four round trips per day, and the ferry corporation is advising customers to reserve spots because the sailings will be limited to half of normal capacity.

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Four more people have died from COVID-19 in BC since Saturday, all of them at the Langley Lodge long term care home; Dr. Henry is defending her recent order that limits 50 vehicles at all drive-ins and other entertainment venues; Staff at Vancouver Island University have stepped up to create much-needed supplies for health care providers; Thousands of British Columbians crashed a government website this morning, just minutes after it opened to take parks reservations.

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The Provincial Health Officer says BC doesn't need to take up the federal government's offer to help provinces with contact-tracing; Meanwhile, on Saturday, Dr Henry presented the latest COVID-19 numbers, reporting 2 deaths in long term care homes in the Fraser Health Region; Nanaimo city council is being asked to allocate close to $200,000 to deal with what is being called "social disorder issues." A staff report says open drug dealing has made Wesley Street "an urban dead zone.”; The Old City Quarter Association wants city hall to share the cost of providing private security and running a call centre for complaints.

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The COVID-19 death rate continues to climb with three more in BC in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 155; Meanwhile, more than 600 people whose surgeries were cancelled by Island Health because of COVID-19 have been re-booked; more in this update.

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Restaurants, pubs, breweries and wineries are being given the green light to expand service to patios. BC's Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch has set up a fast-track, on-line permission process to temporarily allow expanded service areas until Oct. 31st; more in this update.

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Three more people have died from COVID-19 in BC over the past 24 hours, bringing the death count to 152. All three were in long term care homes on the lower mainland. There have been no new cases of the virus in the Island Health Region, but province-wide, 12 more people have been infected in the past day, with one at the Matsqui federal prison in Abbotsford; There will soon be hotel rooms available for vulnerable people in Nanaimo who need help to self-isolate during the pandemic. BC Housing says it has secured 73 spaces in four area hotels. 13 spaces are reserved for women fleeing violence; The city announced on April the 30th, that the temporary centre would be located in the Community Services Building. But homeless men will not be housed there until July; Reservations at BC parks will be limited to BC residents only this summer. The change in policy was not announced by the minister but was posted on the BC Parks Facebook page. Sustain CHLY’s News Department for many years to come by signing up for a monthly Sustaining Donation at www.chly.ca/donate

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Minister of Labour from British Columbia promises robust levels of inspection; Thousands tuned into online town hall with Minister of Education; Graduating students want to know about celebrations and whether the disrupted year will affect applications to colleges and universities.

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New COVID-19 numbers today show it's one step forward, two steps back. Yesterday, there were only two new cases of the virus in BC, but today, there are 21 new cases including a new outbreak at an assisted care home in Mission; The Premier says employers should not use the partial reopening of BC classrooms next month, to demand their employees return to work; As businesses continue to slowly reopen, the Premier says he will continue to push the federal government to create a national sick day assistance program; more.

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More than a million dollars in federal funding is about to be distributed to charitable and non-profit organizations in central and northern Vancouver Island. Applications are now open for the Canada Emergency Community Support Fund. It will assist organizations that provide immediate essential service to those affected by COVID-19; The Minister of Social Services and Poverty Development has declared victory in moving all of the people who have been living in encampments in Vancouver and Victoria. Shane Simpson says people living in Oppenheimer Park were moved to hotels and other housing two weeks ago; Parents and students who have questions about the provincial plan to open classes to part-time instruction can ask them at a virtual town hall meeting tonight.

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Once again, seniors in lower mainland long term care homes continue to be the victims of COVID-19. Three such deaths were reported over the past 24 hours; The rules around who can visit and assist people in hospital are changing because of the death of a disabled woman at Peace Arch Hospital in White Rock last month; BC's Provincial Health Officer is recommending that people wear non-surgical face masks in certain situations. Dr. Bonnie Henry is not willing to order that masks be worn because she says there is no scientific evidence that masks, in and of themselves, protect people from catching COVID-19.

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A memorial to the Snowbird who died in last Sunday's plane crash continues to grow at the airport in Kamloops. Captain Jenn Casey did not survive, after ejecting from the Snowbirds jet, that crashed into a house shortly after takeoff; North Cowichan RCMP are sharing few details about two incidents involving explosives in the past 10 days; The Provincial Health Officer says she shares the concerns of fellow British Columbians, as the province enters the next phase of its pandemic plan. Dr. Bonnie Henry is advising both businesses and individuals to take it slowly, when it comes to reopening or expanding your social circle.

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New data from the BC Centre for Disease Control show there were more overdose deaths and fewer visits to overdose prevention sites in March, compared to February. 113 people died from overdoses in BC in March, a 61 per cent monthly increase; British Columbia continues to bend the curve of COVID-19 with no new outbreaks, fewer new cases and hospitalizations and more recoveries.

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The death of a Canadian Snowbirds public affairs officer in a crash over Kamloops has cast a pall over a tour that was supposed to lift Canadian's spirits. Captain Jenn Casey, died after the Tudor Aircraft she was in crashed and burst into flames in the front yard of a house. She recently completed a Masters of Interdisciplinary Studies at Royal Roads University.

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It was not a good day when it comes to COVID-19 numbers in BC. Five people have died from the virus in the past 24 hours, all on the lower mainland. That brings the total to 140 deaths in BC since the pandemic began, including five in the Island Health region. There is one new case of COVID-19 confirmed in Island Health since yesterday. Province-wide, there are 15 new cases, including one at Abbotsford Regional Hospital…

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