Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has ordered all nightclubs and standalone banquet halls to close effective immediately and until further notice after 429 new COVID-19 cases and two deaths were reported over the long weekend. She also ordered liquor sales in all bars, pubs, and restaurants to cease at 10 p.m., while those venues must close at 11 p.m. unless they are providing full meal service. Music and background sounds must not be louder than the volume of normal conversation in those venues.
An air quality advisory has been issued for the Fraser Valley and Metro Vancouver after smoke from wildfires burning in Washington, Oregon, and California moved over the region yesterday morning. High concentrations of fine particulate matter are expected to persist . People with chronic underlying medical conditions or acute infections such as COVID-19 should postpone or reduce outdoor physical activity until the advisory is lifted.
Another McDonald’s in Surrey has temporarily closed after an employee tested positive for COVID-19, this time in Fleetwood. An employee from a McDonald’s on Fraser Highway, reported that they tested positive. All crew members who may have been in close contact with the employee have been asked to self-quarantine. The employee worked their last shift on Sept.5-6 from 9am to 5 pm.
With thousands of students returning to class officials are reminding drivers that speed limits in school zones are once again back in effect. Drivers who are caught not adhering to these posted limits can expect to pay up if they are caught and ticketed. In fact, fines for drivers caught speeding in school zones range between $196 and $253 School zone speed limits are 30 km/h between 8 am and 5 pm, Monday to Friday, unless otherwise posted.
Surrey’s superintendent of schools is advising parents to carefully consider their choices when deciding whether or not they will go back to class. Teachers returned to school yesterday with students expected back in class for the rest of orientation week tomorrow. Some, however, may stay home, choosing an online program instead. Jordan Tinney, says parents and students who take on the online learning responsibility will have plenty of support from schools. But, he warns, there is a big difference between online and in-class learning.
The Bank of Canada says its interest rate target will remain at 0.25 per cent until inflation is back on target. In a statement today, the central bank’s governing council says
bounce-back activity in the third quarter looks to be faster than it anticipated in July. But it warns indicators like an uneven rebound in employment and subdued business confidence point to a slow and choppy recovery.
B-C Ferries passengers will soon no longer be allowed to remain in their vehicles during sailings on major routes in order to self-isolate during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ferry service says Transport Canada has revoked the temporary flexibility granted to ferry operators allowing passengers to remain in vehicles on enclosed vehicle decks.
Customers must leave enclosed vehicle decks aboard the vessels starting on the last day of this month.
Transport Canada granted the flexibility in the spring as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold to allow for increased physical distancing.
Dr Bonnie Henry is announcing 100 new casesfor a total of 6,691 cases in British Columbia.
There are 1,378 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. Currently, 37 individuals are hospitalized with COVID-19, 15 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation. This fall and winter, we will be facing two health challenges – the usual respiratory season as well as COVID-19. What this means is that we have to put measures in place now to ensure our health-care centres, communities and all of us are ready for what may be ahead. B-C has purchased its highest-ever number of flu vaccines with nearly two-million doses available to prevent illness. The province is also hiring more staff to boost contract tracing and is doubling COVID-19 testing capacity to 20-thousand a day.
Dr. Bonnie Henry says the COVID-19 pandemic won’t force the cancellation of Halloween this year. Henry says she has been asked by many students if they will be able to go out trick or treating and the answer is yes — with some changes. She says celebrations should be held in small groups outside with only pre-packaged candy to be handed out. Henry adds more guidelines will be released at a later date.
One man is in-custody after an assault with a weapon near the Surrey Central skytrain station. Today at 12:15 pm, a Surrey RCMP Frontline officer was conducting routine patrols when they came across a man suffering from a serious injury, near City Parkway. The injured man was transported to the hospital. Surrey RCMP officers have arrested a suspect, an adult male, in connection to the assault. Closures will be in effect along City Parkway as officers process the crime scene. The investigation is in the early stages and no additional information is available for release to the public at this time.
Surrey Board of Trade is calling on Dr. Bonnie Henry to revisit her order to close all nightclubs and banquet halls in B.C. The Provincial Health Officer made the announcement yesterday in an effort to curve the spread of COVID-19. The Surrey business organization said Henry did so “without any consultation or advanced warning,” with the order effective immediately.
Liquor sales in all bars, pubs, and restaurants must now stop at 10 p.m., with those venues required to close by 11 p.m. unless providing full meal services. Music, televisions and background sounds must not exceed conversational level. Board of trade CEO Anita Huber-man says the order should be revisited. saying “keeping businesses and the economy viable is vital. Issuing a general and immediate, sector specific closures and operational restrictions, without consultation or government support “will result in permanent detrimental impacts to businesses, compromising our economy and jobs.” Huberman calls on Henry to meet with the impacted industry sectors with hope to government support.