Tuesday COVID-19 update
Island Health continues to fare poorly in terms of recent pandemic numbers. 39 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the past 24 hours and one more death. There are 260 active cases currently and so far there have been 23 deaths in our region.
Health orders lay the groundwork for mass vaccination clinics
The Provincial Health officer has issued a new health order, to allow more people to help run the mass vaccination clinics that are being planned for next month. The Provincial Health Office order will allow dentists, pharmacy technicians, paramedics, retired nurses and midwives to either administer vaccines or assist with duties like monitoring people for side effects or assisting elders at the clinics. Dr. Bonnie Henry says plans are underway to set up 172 clinics across the province with up to 500 staff in each health region.
"We are moving forward and doing a lot of work behind the scenes to make sure that the systems in our health authorities across the province, we have the tools and resources to take on this incredible and significant task. So we are very excited to be able to have the workforce that we are going to need over the next six months to ensure that we can get vaccine into as many people as wanted as efficiently as possible."—Chief Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry.
Henry says more details about the mass vaccination clinics will be presented next Monday.
Police act needs reforms to protect children and youth
BC's Advocate for Children and Youth is urging the province to change the Police Act to help young people in crisis. Jennifer Charlesworth presented a series of recommendations to an all-party committee that is tasked with reforming BC's 50-year-old Police Act. Charlesworth says young and vulnerable children have frequent contact with police because of domestic violence, sexual exploitation, child neglect, drug addiction and mental health breakdowns, but police are not always equipped to do the best for these children.
“Currently, police are now having to do work that was never envisioned as policing, because other systems are falling short. And not only are systems falling short, but police are not trained or prepared to do the work they're now being called upon to do in a good way. So children and youth who are living with vulnerabilities are experiencing interactions with police at very young ages, and when they may be at their most vulnerable.”—BC's Advocate for Children and Youth, Jennifer Charlesworth.
Charlesworth is asking the committee to involve young people in its consultations. She is also asking that all police be trained in trauma-informed practice and that there be specialized training in child development for officers who have the most contact with children. The all-party committee is expected to present its report and recommendations to the legislature in mid-May.
All content for Daily News Update from CHLY 101.7FM is the property of CHLY 101.7FM and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Tuesday COVID-19 update
Island Health continues to fare poorly in terms of recent pandemic numbers. 39 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the past 24 hours and one more death. There are 260 active cases currently and so far there have been 23 deaths in our region.
Health orders lay the groundwork for mass vaccination clinics
The Provincial Health officer has issued a new health order, to allow more people to help run the mass vaccination clinics that are being planned for next month. The Provincial Health Office order will allow dentists, pharmacy technicians, paramedics, retired nurses and midwives to either administer vaccines or assist with duties like monitoring people for side effects or assisting elders at the clinics. Dr. Bonnie Henry says plans are underway to set up 172 clinics across the province with up to 500 staff in each health region.
"We are moving forward and doing a lot of work behind the scenes to make sure that the systems in our health authorities across the province, we have the tools and resources to take on this incredible and significant task. So we are very excited to be able to have the workforce that we are going to need over the next six months to ensure that we can get vaccine into as many people as wanted as efficiently as possible."—Chief Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry.
Henry says more details about the mass vaccination clinics will be presented next Monday.
Police act needs reforms to protect children and youth
BC's Advocate for Children and Youth is urging the province to change the Police Act to help young people in crisis. Jennifer Charlesworth presented a series of recommendations to an all-party committee that is tasked with reforming BC's 50-year-old Police Act. Charlesworth says young and vulnerable children have frequent contact with police because of domestic violence, sexual exploitation, child neglect, drug addiction and mental health breakdowns, but police are not always equipped to do the best for these children.
“Currently, police are now having to do work that was never envisioned as policing, because other systems are falling short. And not only are systems falling short, but police are not trained or prepared to do the work they're now being called upon to do in a good way. So children and youth who are living with vulnerabilities are experiencing interactions with police at very young ages, and when they may be at their most vulnerable.”—BC's Advocate for Children and Youth, Jennifer Charlesworth.
Charlesworth is asking the committee to involve young people in its consultations. She is also asking that all police be trained in trauma-informed practice and that there be specialized training in child development for officers who have the most contact with children. The all-party committee is expected to present its report and recommendations to the legislature in mid-May.
Ombudsperson: Complaints process gaps in BC's Police Act must be filled by legislative committee
Daily News Update from CHLY 101.7FM
3 minutes
4 years ago
Ombudsperson: Complaints process gaps in BC's Police Act must be filled by legislative committee
Monday COVID-19 update
COVID-19 cases counts spiked in the Island Health region over the weekend, with 99 new cases reported since Friday. 63 are on the Central Island, 13 in the south and 23 in the north. 16 people are in hospital and one Islander, a member of the Cowichan Tribes has died. So far in the pandemic, 24 islanders have died from COVID-19.
Vaccination delayed for Cowichan Tribes
Meanwhile, the Cowichan Tribes has been forced to delay a planned vaccination clinic because of a shortage of Pfizer vaccine. The Director of the Ts'ewulhtun Health Centre says 600 Cowichan Tribes members were scheduled to receive their second dose of vaccine at clinics that were supposed to begin today. Derek Thompson says that plan changed over the weekend when Island Health informed the community its vaccine shipment was delayed.
"It's disappointing but we also understand our community, like every nation and municipality across the province, are in the same queue awaiting the vaccine and like many nations and municipalities across the province we know that that time frame is going to shift here and there are we are ready to respond accordingly."—Derek Thompson, Director of the Ts'ewulhtun Health Centre.
Thompson says the clinics have been postponed for two weeks until March the 8th. He says that's how long it will take to reschedule those receiving the vaccine and the availability of those who will administer them.
Gaps in complaints process allows no recourse against IIO or civilian employees of RCMP
BC’s Ombudsperson says people who feel mistreated by guards at RCMP lockups or by BC's Independent Investigations Office have no formal recourse to make a complaint. Jay Chalke says his office is not allowed to investigate any complaints against police officers' conduct, however, there are agencies that do. But he says there is no process at all for people who want to file complaints against civilian employees who work for the RCMP, including guards at holding cells in RCMP detachments. Chalke urged a legislative committee that's examining BC's Police Act to fill that gap.
"This gap concerns the most significant intervention the state can make in an individual's life: the deprivation of their liberty. The circumstances and issues here implicate fundamental human rights and international law."—BC’s Ombudsperson Jay Chalke.
Chalke says people detained under the mental health act also have no recourse to complain, nor does anyone who is unhappy with how BC's Independent Investigations Office has handled investigations into police-involved injuries and deaths.
"I want to point out that there is no independent investigation of the complaints process set out in the regulation, and therefore no public accountability for how complaints are handled."—BC’s Ombudsperson Jay Chalke.
Chalke says BC's Solicitor General has acknowledged the gaps but so far, has not offered any legislative or regulatory changes.
Daily News Update from CHLY 101.7FM
Tuesday COVID-19 update
Island Health continues to fare poorly in terms of recent pandemic numbers. 39 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the past 24 hours and one more death. There are 260 active cases currently and so far there have been 23 deaths in our region.
Health orders lay the groundwork for mass vaccination clinics
The Provincial Health officer has issued a new health order, to allow more people to help run the mass vaccination clinics that are being planned for next month. The Provincial Health Office order will allow dentists, pharmacy technicians, paramedics, retired nurses and midwives to either administer vaccines or assist with duties like monitoring people for side effects or assisting elders at the clinics. Dr. Bonnie Henry says plans are underway to set up 172 clinics across the province with up to 500 staff in each health region.
"We are moving forward and doing a lot of work behind the scenes to make sure that the systems in our health authorities across the province, we have the tools and resources to take on this incredible and significant task. So we are very excited to be able to have the workforce that we are going to need over the next six months to ensure that we can get vaccine into as many people as wanted as efficiently as possible."—Chief Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry.
Henry says more details about the mass vaccination clinics will be presented next Monday.
Police act needs reforms to protect children and youth
BC's Advocate for Children and Youth is urging the province to change the Police Act to help young people in crisis. Jennifer Charlesworth presented a series of recommendations to an all-party committee that is tasked with reforming BC's 50-year-old Police Act. Charlesworth says young and vulnerable children have frequent contact with police because of domestic violence, sexual exploitation, child neglect, drug addiction and mental health breakdowns, but police are not always equipped to do the best for these children.
“Currently, police are now having to do work that was never envisioned as policing, because other systems are falling short. And not only are systems falling short, but police are not trained or prepared to do the work they're now being called upon to do in a good way. So children and youth who are living with vulnerabilities are experiencing interactions with police at very young ages, and when they may be at their most vulnerable.”—BC's Advocate for Children and Youth, Jennifer Charlesworth.
Charlesworth is asking the committee to involve young people in its consultations. She is also asking that all police be trained in trauma-informed practice and that there be specialized training in child development for officers who have the most contact with children. The all-party committee is expected to present its report and recommendations to the legislature in mid-May.
