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.
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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.
Kids in school to mask up
Students in middle school and high schools in BC will now have to wear masks in all indoor areas, including classrooms, except when they are seated or standing at their desks. Masks are now required when singing, and physical distancing must be maintained when playing instruments. The provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry offered no data to show why the stepped-up measures are needed. However, both the Minister of Education, Jennifer Whiteside and the head of the BC School Trustees Association Stephanie Higgenson suggest anxiety over safety by teachers and students was the major impetus for change.
"There is absolutely, anxiety amongst students and staff and their families in schools and their communities and it certainly is my hope that this does go some way in making folks feel more secure and confident."—Minister of Education Jennifer Whiteside.
"I have noticed a heightened sense of divisiveness in the way people are expressing their concern about school safety. For the sake of the students who are watching, we must refocus this energy on the important tasks that we have at hand."—B.C. School Trustee Association Stephanie Higgenson.
Students in elementary schools, including those in grades seven and eight, will not be ordered to wear masks, however, the advice being given to elementary schools has changed from "mask-wearing is not recommended" to "mask-wearing is encouraged."
“NoNo” returns home after three and a half years
A Nanaimo woman whose cat came back after three and a half years believe he was deliberately taken and dumped far from home. "NoNo" the cat was found by staff at the Living Forest campground near Cedar last week. Staff contacted the Nanaimo SPCA and it tracked down Nono's owner, through a tattoo. Laura Brethour says she was shocked and surprised at both the phone call and the fact that Nono was found 20 kilometres from where he went missing. Brethour does not believe her cat wandered that far away on his own.
"Without saying names and without 100% certainty, we actually know he was taken and he was dumped south of the city in hopes he wouldn't find his way home."—Laura Brethour, NoNo’s owner.
Lesli Steeves says she's not surprised. Steeves is one of the founders of ROAM, a volunteer group devoted to finding lost pets. She says she's dealt with cases of cats being removed from neighbourhoods and dumped far away.
”There are occasions when it happens and there are certainly some little hot spot areas we do keep our eyes on and we try to work closely with the owners to try to pull out as much information as we can to see if they've had any problems with the neighbours or have heard anything in the neighbourhood."—ROAM’s Lesli Steeves.
Steeves urges neighbours to work together to find creative solutions like installing a motion sensor sprinkler to deter a wandering cat. She believes Nanaimo's new animal responsibility bylaw will also prevent cat-nappings in the future because people can call a bylaw officer to resolve such disputes. Meanwhile, Brethour says NoNo is now an indoor cat.
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.
