A head-on crash in the Massey Tunnel overnight has left one person dead. Just after midnight a car travelling southbound crossed the center line – smashing into a northbound car – killing the 61 year old woman driver from Richmond. The two people in the other car are in hospital with serious injuries. Staff Sergeant Quentin Frewing (Lower Mainland Traffic Services) says alcohol may have been a factor. Anyone with dash cam footage or who saw the crash is asked to contact Richmond RCMP Cst. Lee Sandau at 604-970-8691
The Fraser Health Authority is confirming there has been a COVID-19 outbreak at Surrey Memorial Hospital. According to a statement to hospital staff, a patient tested positive for the virus recently. The outbreak is confined to one unit and as a result, the area will be closed off. There are no other impacts to other parts of the hospital. There’s no confirmed time for when the outbreak began. It’s not clear how many people have been infected.
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has more than tripled in the past month. The province reported 58 new cases yesterday along with one death, the 209th in B.C. since the start of the pandemic. The number of people hospitalized in the province is 3. Hospitalizations are still a fraction of what they were early in the pandemic, reaching as high as 142 on April 1. The Province is also providing an update on the stepped-up enforcement of COVID-19 rules in the province. In the first week fines were introduced, 10 violation tickets were issued including six $2,000 fines against party organizers and fines for four individuals worth $200 each.
The provincial government is announcing a $39.8 million investment that will go towards Surrey schools. According to the Ministry of Education, the funds will be split into three projects, including a 240-seat expansion at KB Woodward Elementary and seismic upgrades at Prince Charles Elementary and Queen Elizabeth Secondary. The province says that they’ve invested $403 million into 25 school capital projects in Surrey since 2017.
The debate continues about back to school. One education expert is now pushing for a later return to class. This comes as parents and teachers continue to have concerns, with many feeling issues around heading back to school during the COVID-19 pandemic haven’t been fully addressed yet. Educational technology expert Valerie Irvine, who is with the University of Victoria, says parents face too few options and too many risks, and pushing the start of the school year to Oct. 1 would give more time to get things right, including a proper needs assessment with real consultation.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is setting off on a virtual tour of BC today. The COVID-19 pandemic means he can’t hit the road as usual . Trudeau will hold video meetings with John Horgan and other political, business, environmental and academic leaders.The prime minister is expected to use part of his meetings to consult people on his government’s COVID-19 recovery plan, which will be unveiled in the throne speech on the 23rd of this month.
I-C-B-C says drivers will be hearing one main message during this year’s annual fall campaign against distracted driving. The campaign will urge drivers to leave their phone alone when
they’re behind the wheel. The corporation says police are also ramping up enforcement during September because more than one in four fatal crashes on B-C roads involve distracted driving. The public insurer notes some drivers are clearly not getting the message — with 44-thousand receiving two tickets for distracted driving over the past decade while 65 have received 10 tickets.
The Canucks kept their season alive with a 2-1 win in game 5 over The Las Vegas Golden Knights last night as Thatcher Demko made 42 saves in his first ever NHL playoff start. Game 6 is tomorrow at 6:45.
Metro Vancouver’s transportation agency says a spot check shows about 92 per cent of transit riders are complying with its mandatory mask policy. TransLink says staff conducted spot checks at locations with high numbers of customers over several days last week — counting about 31-thousand customers. TransLink C-E-O Kevin Desmond says the 92 per cent compliance rate is encouraging just over a week after the new policy came into effect and that he’s pleased customers are helping to make transit safer for the thousands of people who rely on the system every day.
The province says it’s providing schools with an extra two-million dollars in funding for mental health programs as students face an “unprecedented” return to school. Judy Darcy, the minister of mental health and addictions, says a total of 3.75-million dollars will be spent in the 2020-21 school year to promote mental wellness. Darcy says the funding will also provide additional support for students, families and educators. School districts will be allowed to determine how the funds are used based on their needs
The B-C government says it has extended the state of emergency in response to the pandemic. It says the state of emergency is extended until September 15th. Premier John Horgan says while the majority of people are following rules to stop the spread of COVID-19, a small number are ignoring orders. The government says police and other provincial enforcement officers were given the ability to issue tickets of up to two-thousand-dollars starting August 21st for those violating orders on gatherings and events.
Surrey RCMP is investigating a serious assault with a weapon near the intersection of 95A Avenue and 148 Street in Surrey. Today at approximately 2:00 pm, Surrey RCMP received a report that a traffic control flagger working in the area had been assaulted with a weapon by a male on a bicycle. The female victim has been transported to an area hospital with unknown injuries. The male suspect fled on bicycle and police are actively looking for him. Early reports describe the suspect as: a Caucasian male, heavy set, in his 30’s wearing dark clothing, a baseball cap and riding a red mountain bike. Anyone who sees an individual matching this description should call police immediately