It’s widely expected B.C. will introduce measures to establish sick pay benefits. Premier John Horgan and Labour Minister Harry Bains are set to address the public Tuesday morning, “following the introduction of legislative amendments to improve employment standards for workers, while supporting businesses.” This comes weeks after Victoria learned the federal government would not be expanding its own COVID-19 sick pay program. Last month, the province promised changes to beef up sick pay. Currently, easy-access, across-the-board sick pay is still not in place in B.C. Horgan had said the federal government has existing programs based on earnings and employment. The hope was Ottawa would have a plan in the recent budget, but it didn’t. The premier and labour minister are set to speak at 11:15 a.m.
The provincial health officer is calling on everyone who received their first dose of a vaccine before the launch of a provincial registration system to book an appointment for their second dose. Doctor Bonnie Henry says everyone who got vaccinated early last month has been listed as getting either the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, but their full contact information may not be available. Everyone aged 40 and up can now register online, and people 18 and over in high-risk neighborhoods are also eligible for an appointment.
Top police officials in B-C say they plan to meet with Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth today to lay out their plan to crack down on the latest gang conflict. They’re trying to reassure the public after a pair of gang-related killings over the weekend, including a brazen daylight shooting at the Vancouver International Airport Sunday. A suspect has been charged with first-degree murder in the other fatal shooting of a 19-year-old man in Burnaby on Saturday where a bystander was also wounded. R-C-M-P Assistant Commissioner Dwayne McDonald says when violence happens in public spaces, it only strengthens their resolve to put an end to it.
R-C-M-P say more than 14-hundred vehicles have been checked in COVID-19 roadblocks around the province since non-essential travel was banned in B-C last month. A spokeswoman for the Mounties says only two vehicles were asked to turn around and no fines or tickets have been issued. Enforcement began last Thursday at checkpoints on highways leading out of the Lower Mainland. Travel restrictions limit B-C residents to three main areas. Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and the North and Interior, but people are also being encouraged to stick close to home within those regions
B-C’s top doctor is paying tribute to nurses during National Nurses Week and says she wants to commend the bravery, perseverance and compassion of the health-care professionals during the pandemic. Doctor Bonnie Henry says she’s in awe of the work her nursing colleagues have been doing over the last 15 months. Henry is urging everyone to register for a vaccine to increase
vaccination rates that would allow some measures to be eased for a slow return to pre-pandemic activities. She says more vaccine doses are arriving in B-C this month to ramp up the immunization rate, but 415 people are currently in hospital and 150 of them are getting intensive care
B-C is reporting one-thousand-759 new cases of COVID-19 over the past three days. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has also announced 20 additional deaths, bringing the total in the province to one-thousand-622. Henry says more than two-million residents have now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and the immunization program is rapidly accelerating. She says that starting tonight, all those 40 and older will be able to book an appointment for a vaccination, as well as all those 18 and up in high risk areas.
The organizer of the Rockin’ River Music Fest in Merrit has cancelled the event for the second year in a row due to pandemic restrictions. Festival president Kenny Hess says the focus is now on making next year’s event a big success, and a new lineup of artists will be announced in the fall. The four-day festival has now been scheduled for July 28th to July 31st, 2022. Tickets from last year’s show will still be honoured next year, but the option of a refund is being offered.
British Columbia has created its own sick leave program to ensure workers stay home if they suspect they have COVID-19. Labour Minister Harry Bains introduced the legislation today – providing up to three days of paid sick leave for all B-C workers. The program begins next month and will be effective until December 31st before being replaced by a new policy that is still under discussion with the number of sick leave entitlement days yet to be determined. Bains says paid sick leave is good for businesses, good for workers, good for communities and will speed B-C’s economic recovery from COVID-19.
Two major labour groups say the new COVID-19 paid sick leave program announced by the B-C government today doesn’t go far enough. Premier John Horgan says the three days of paid sick leave will bridge the gap for workers from when they first feel sick to when they can access the federal sick benefit. Horgan also says the program running through the end of the year will lay the groundwork for a permanent paid sick leave program. Both the B-C Federation of Labour and Unifor say three days of paid sick leave a year is well short of what’s needed, although Unifor says it opens the door for further expansion.
A new poll about COVID-19 vaccinations suggests a majority of Canadians support the idea of vaccine passports, but mostly for travel-related purposes. The online survey found almost two-thirds of respondents back the idea of vaccine passports — and three-quarters would like to get one as soon as they’ve been inoculated. However there is far more support for the use of passports for domestic or international travel than for the idea of using them for activities like going to a restaurant, working out at the gym or taking in a concert. The survey also found more than eight in 10 respondents said they are either vaccinated already or plan to get inoculated when it’s their turn.
Thompson Rivers University says it’s the first post-secondary institution in B-C to make a commitment to provide free menstrual products in every washroom on campus. The university based in Kamloops has promised to begin the program by September with support from the United Way’s Period Promise campaign. Washrooms at the Williams Lake campus will also be stocked. The university says the estimated cost is about $1.25 a month for every person needing access to hygiene products.