Surrey School District is adjusting COVID-19 protocols after “close to 50” cases of COVID-19 were linked to five classes at Earl Marriott Secondary. In a letter sent to parents, which was shared with Peace Arch News, district superintendent Jordan Tinney wrote that school officials met with Fraser Health to discuss how school officials could “review and adjust” its plans for re-opening Earl Marriott this month. Tinney wrote that Earl Marriott is to implement further health and safety measures inside and outside of the school. The letter asks parents for their support and co-operation. reminding parents, staff and students to do daily health checks and to not attend school if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. The letter outlines a requirement in B.C. for students and staff to wear masks at all times when they are outside of their learning group or when they are in common areas, such as hallways.
Organizers of a large Surrey rally in support of farmers in India had to postpone their event on January 2nd because COVID-19 safety precautions. Police said more than 1,000 vehicles were expected to gather at the Cloverdale Recreation Centre at noon, then travel to the Indian consulate in downtown Vancouver around 4 p.m. The rally will be the second of 2021, following a similar event on New Year’s Day. Protesters say they’re supporting farmers in India in a dispute with the Indian government over a series of new agriculture laws. Farmers say the new provisions are unjust, and by eliminating minimum prices will undercut their livelihoods. It is not clear when the event is being rescheduled to.
Changes could be coming to the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit after more than a dozen elected officials spent some of the COVID-19 holiday season outside of the country. The scandal has some questioning whether the benefit — which offers one-thousand dollars in support for people who have to quarantine for 14 days — should be off-limits to vacationers. The federal employment minister says the benefit was designed “to provide workers with a paid sick-leave option” and not travel with paid time-off on return. Carla Qualtrough says the government is actively looking at all available options to address this issue
Vancouver police have confirmed the identity of a restaurant fined for allegedly hosting a 100-person New Year’s Eve party, in violation of B.C.’s COVID-19 restrictions. Police say they attended the Cold Tea Restaurant, a Chinese-Vietnamese restaurant at the intersection of Granville and Davie, around 11 p.m. Dec. 31, after a complaint from the public. Police said they found a private party with scores of attendees and food and liquor service in progress. Officers shut the event down and issued the owner/organizer with a $2,300 fine. Ian Tostenson, president of the B.C. Restaurant and Foodservice Association said he was “disgusted” by the event. Tostenson said he believes the attendees at the party should have been fined $2,300, while the owners should have faced a six-figure penalty. He said the BCRFA would advocate for stiffer penalties against businesses that flout COVID-19 rules, while other businesses take pains to follow the regulations. He said the event was particularly insulting, when other restaurants in the city lost thousands of dollars scrapping later-evening New Year’s Eve seating’s following a last-minute health order barring liquor service after 8 p.m.
Bring on the babies of, 2021. A little girl born in Vancouver was B.C.’s first baby of the New Year. The seven pound, four ounce bundle of joy came into the world at 12:21 a.m. New Year’s Day at BC Women’s Hospital. However, the still unnamed baby girl was actually a late arrival, originally due Christmas according to her mother Catherine Harrison. Harrison wasn’t expecting her new baby to come with the title and as for giving birth during a pandemic, she was unfazed. But shortly after Christine and Darcy welcomed their first child another new baby was right behind them. Just eight minutes later in the Fraser Health Region another baby girl, Rehmat Pangli, was born at 12:29 a.m.
The Vancouver Canucks have been given the go ahead to play in British Columbia this season. B.C. Premier John Horgan announced the news on Twitter on Sunday, saying he had spoken to team owner Francesco Aquillini about the NHL’s return to play plans and believes the enhanced health measures mean games can be played safely. Canucks general manager Jim Benning told reporters earlier on Sunday that it was the team’s understanding it would be able to play home games at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena this year. B.C. is the second province to officially approve NHL games, coming after Alberta gave the OK on Dec. 25 following the review of protocols outlined in the league’s return-to-play plan, along with some additional enhancements. The NHL season is set to resume on Jan. 13 with a new North Division that will see the seven Canadian franchises play one another instead of crossing into the United States for games.
Team Canada is set to meet Team Russia at the first of two semifinal games at the world junior men’s hockey championship in Edmonton, today. The two teams meet Monday afternoon for the first time since a tense pre-tournament affair on Dec. 23 that Canada won 1-0. The winner will play in Tuesday night’s gold-medal game against the winner of the second semifinal matchup between Finland and the United States. The losers of both semifinal games will play in the bronze-medal game, also scheduled for Tuesday. Canada hopes to be the first repeat champion since 2009, a year in which they captured their fifth consecutive gold medal. The puck drops tonight at 3 p.m. PST