MARCH 25: 55 B.C. health-care workers have tested positive, help for renters announced

A sign in an elevator advises visitors to a South Surrey business against entering if they have symptoms of COVID-19. (File photo)

Here’s the latest news for Surrey, White Rock and beyond for Wednesday, March 25. This will be updated as information becomes available:

• Weddings, funerals and other “celebrations and ceremonies” need to be held without physical gathering as B.C. braces for what might be the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says.

• As the number of British Columbians who have tested positive for COVID-19 continues to rise, so has the number of healthcare workers on the front lines impacted by the novel coronavirus.

• As health officials push for more social distancing and self-isolation, a Surrey temple is creating a special service for those who can’t go out.

• Provincial Labour Minister Harry Bains is working from home, self-isolating after returning to Surrey from a trip to India.

• Surrey Fire Fighters Association is “sounding the alarm” about having trucks out of service in North Surrey.

• The owners of a South Surrey coffee shop are doing what they can to show appreciation for Semiahmoo Peninsula heath-care workers.

• Who’s keeping you company while you work from home, and what signs have you seen around the Semiahmoo Peninsula that have brought a smile to your face?

• The B.C. government is offering up to $500 in rent supplement payments for each of the next four months to help people stay in their homes as their income is affected by COVID-19.

• Despite being one of the most challenging times in its history, donors and volunteers are triumphantly rising to the occasion at the Surrey Food Bank.

• Surrey Schools Superintendent Jordan Tinney has put out a message to Grade 12 students as the district, and province, deals with transitioning to an adapted form of learning to follow the social-distancing and self-isolating rules.

• The City of Surrey announced a 90-day extension for its annual flat water and sewer payment.

• It’s believed thousands of Surrey residents are stranded in India, caught up in the subcontinent’s 21-day lockdown because of the COVID-19 virus.

• The federal government is planning to provide financial support to media organizations to keep journalists working and reporting on the COVID-19 crisis.

• London Drugs stores across B.C. will now host exclusive shopping hours for first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The Downtown Surrey Business Improvement Association is partnering with the Surrey Hospital Foundation and restaurants in the area for a meal program.

• Local government officials are reminding the public that paper towels, disinfectant wipes (even the ‘flushable’ kind) and latex gloves pose a significant risk to B.C.’s sanitary collection systems.

• Staff at at least one waterfront business are predicting dire effects along White Rock’s Marine Drive strip should the COVID-19 pandemic not be reined in within the coming weeks.

• The Canadian Blood Services clinic in Surrey remains open during the COVID-19 pandemic, with some changes to the way blood donations are accepted.

• The Maple Ridge 2020 B.C. Summer Games – scheduled for July 23 to 26 – have been cancelled.

• The B.C. government has effectively scrapped its 2020 budget and plunged into multi-billion-dollar deficits to deal with ramped-up health care and other spending from the COVID-19 pandemic

• The federal government is to start enforcing a mandatory 14-day quarantine for travellers at midnight.

• The prime minister unveiled a new benefit to streamline aid for Canadians who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19.

• You can always count on Ryan Reynolds and Seth Rogen to lighten up a situation.

• White Rock’s mayor says the COVID-19 case at Evergreen Heights is a reminder for everyone to take their role in “flattening the curve” seriously.

• BC Ferries is advising the public to avoid non-essential travel due to growing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Canadians who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19 and are struggling to make ends meet anxiously awaited promised federal help.

• For Canadians awaiting life-changing operations, the novel coronavirus is creating deepening distress as cancellations and delays roll through the public health system.

• As COVID-19 spreads, health officials recommend residents take a number of precautions to protect themselves including practicing social distancing, proper handwashing and regular disinfecting of high-touch surfaces.

• Extra precautions are being taken by overdose prevention and supervised consumption service providers in B.C., as required by the provincial health officer, to ensure the impacts of COVID-19 are mitigated.

• The stars haven’t aligned for astrologers in the age of COVID-19.

For the latest coronavirus and COVID-19 news, visit peacearchnews.com/tag/coronavirus

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