B-C has announced a four-step plan to ease out of the COVID-19 pandemic, which could mean people can attend live concerts, watch sports in person and choose whether to wear a mask by September 7th. U-B-C professor Heidi Tworek says easing restrictions should also include a plan to provide mental health resources for people who may deal with phobias about interacting with others after more than a year of keeping their distance. She says communication is going to be with health officials explaining, reassuring and updating people on why the plan is safe and will work. B-C imposed restrictions at the end of March on indoor restaurant dining and group fitness, while reversing a plan to allow indoor faith services as COVID-19 case numbers soared to new highs
Patience remains a virtue for British Columbians hoping they will soon be able to gather indoors for religious services because the province’s pandemic restart plan for faith-based communities has yet to be finalized. Yahya Momla, the senior Imam for the BC Muslim Association and the senior Rabbi Dan Moskovitz from Vancouver’s Temple Sholom, said the Ministry of Health is in contact with religious leaders, and they are just ironing out the details. Rabbi Moskovitz says the province just needs a few more days to work out a plan since only organized outdoor gatherings of 50 people with safety protocols are allowed. Momla adds the wait for faith-based communities is understandable, since worship services look different. but that Returning inside will also benefit his elderly congregates and people that are not very tech-savvy. “So we are looking forward to when we can when we can open up for everyone equally.”
B-C health officials are scheduled to give an update on COVID-19 case numbers later today. Officials may also give details on the gap between vaccine doses, which is about 16-weeks right now.
The province reported 3 more deaths yesterday with cases lowering everyday, yesterday reported 250 positive covid 19 cases Almost three million doses of vaccine have been administered to
adults over 18, with more than 152-thousand of those being second
shots.
The Miss BC Pageant, and its reigning Miss BC, are wanting to set the record straight after a woman claiming to be associated to the pageant used the N-word multiple times in a TikTok video. Miss BC Bremiella De Guzman, who is from Surrey, said she found out about a video filmed by 22-year-old Raman Khosa after it was posted to the BlackVancouver Instagram account. De Guzman said she reached out to BlackVancouver to say Khosa is “definitely not the reigning Miss BC.” Miss BC hasn’t held a pageant since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The TikTok video shows Khosa repeatedly using the N-word while singing along to a song by artist Nav, a Canadian rapper of South Asian descent, who has previously said he will no longer be using the N-word in his music.
There are rumblings the U.S. wants to reopen its border with Canada in late June, according to the Surrey Board of Trade, and businesses that B.C. border city want more of a focus from Canada on getting things flowing both ways across the 49th Parallel. The Surrey Board of Trade wants local businesses to have a voice in those talks, saying that city is home to many businesses and people who are anxious and would be directly impacted by the lifting of travel restrictions. “In Surrey, we have the greatest number of manufacturers within British Columbia. A lot of people movement across the border — we are a border city,” explained Anita Huberman, CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade. Without giving any specific dates, federal Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam has hinted changes are coming soon to some border policies. However, Huberman says businesses are totally in the dark.
B-C’s COVID-19 restart plan has left some people wondering whether they should put off milestone events like weddings. Event planner Eron Jaskow says she had a flurry of calls and emails after the government announced the four-stage reopening plan. She says she’s telling future bride and grooms that if they can live without the big party, then they should plan for this year, however if they wait they may find caterers, D-Js and venues booked for 2022
Whistler Blackcomb has announced it intends to reopen its operations for the summer on Monday, May 31. “We are very excited to announce we are targeting a return to operations… in line with the COVID-19 Health recommendations of Vancouver Coastal Health, the Province of BC and Provincial Health Authority,” the resort said on social media. “Our focus continues to be on the health of our guests, employees and community.” The resort said that upon reopening, it will operate “with the same COVID Safety Protocols we have operated with all year, regardless of your immunization status, and will continue to encourage all guests to follow the Provincial Health Officer’s guidance on travel.” It also offered some reminders and further information as to what visitors can expect:
- Sightseeing on the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola and Whistler Mountain Bike Park will be open from May 31.
- Reservations are not required this summer.
- Face masks must be worn when entering and exiting gondolas.
- Face masks remain mandatory, inside and outside, whenever you are in close proximity to other guests, including all lift lines, restaurants, patios and shops.
- Refrain from eating and drinking in the gondola lift lines — a water bottle is recommended for water stations.
The Federal government is supporting B-C tourism organizations with 8.3 million dollars in funding. The money will go to five tourism business support agencies — Destination B-C, the Greater Victoria Visitors and Convention Bureau, Metro Vancouver Convention and Visitors Bureau, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association and the Tourism Industry Association of B-C Economic Development Minister Melanie Joly says in a statement that tourism businesses are vital to the economy and the government is helping them prepare for when it’s safe to travel again. Before the pandemic, B-C’s tourism sector generated more than 20 billion dollars a year in direct and indirect revenue for the province, but has been one of the industries hardest hit by COVID-19 Restrictions.
Police are recommending charges of aggravated assault and assault with a weapon after a man was stabbed on a busy section of Vancouver’s seawall at Sunset Beach. Vancouver police say it happened yesterday afternoon when a skateboarder collided with a jogger on a section of the seawall meant only for pedestrians. The jogger wasn’t hurt but a man and woman confronted the skateboarder and the stabbing occurred when another person — a 33-year-old man — intervened and was attacked — although his injuries are not considered life threatening. The skateboarder fled but police say several witnesses helped them track him down and he remains in custody.
Surrey R-C-M-P believe they’ve corked what they describe as a “multitude” of thefts from liquor stores across Metro Vancouver. An investigation began in February and Mounties say the identified two suspects — one who allegedly stole the alcohol and the other who is accused of using his taxi to drive the pair from store to store. Police don’t describe the amount or type of alcohol taken, but say a total of 48 charges have been laid against the two men — both in their 50s. Travis West and Gurmukh Thiara are scheduled to appear in provincial court in Port Coquitlam next month to face charges ranging from theft to possession of property obtained by crime and possession of a controlled substance.
Police have identified the man who was fatally stabbed at a home in east Vancouver a week ago. Police say 59-year-old Richard Hooper died in hospital on Monday after being stabbed numerous times. A 38-year-old man who police say is known to the victim was arrested nearby. Rajesh Narayan remains in custody after being charged with second-degree murder.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the time between COVID-19 vaccinations is being reduced to eight weeks from the former maximum of 16 weeks. Henry says the province has sufficient supplies of Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to make the change. She says everyone who is eligible should have their second dose of vaccine by the end of the summer. Henry says the province will try to provide people with the same vaccine for their booster shot — but a shortage of Moderna may mean some people will have to get a Pfizer shot instead.
The University of British Columbia has launched a 13-week pilot project testing the viability of self-administered COVID-19 tests. The school has set up a clinic offering rapid antigen COVID-19 tests to students and a select group of people living and working on campus. Participants can take their own swab from the front of the nose, but a nurse will also take a sample from the upper part of the throat to make sure the new test is accurate. Lead researcher Sabrina Wong says that if the self-swab proves effective, it has the potential to be used in a number of places and by the public across the country.