Monday, April 6, 2020 - 4:15pm
COVID-19 PANDEMIC UPDATE #15 – CITY OF NELSON
Nelson, BC – “This is the time to be kind, to be calm, and to be safe” say Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. She also reiterated the message that now is the time for British Columbians to do all that they can to slow the spread of COVID-19. We must all be 100% committed to staying home, only going out when absolutely necessary, sending one person from a family to get groceries or supplies and helping those in our community that are returning from travel and must self-quarantine for 14 days.
Dr. Bonnie also spoke to the feeling of anxiety that many of us are experiencing and urged BC to reach out virtually to care givers if they are dealing with anxiety or other ongoing health conditions. To access anxiety resources online Dr. Henry recommended the following two websites:
Anxiety Canada : https://www.anxietycanada.com/
BounceBack BC : https://bouncebackbc.ca/
In light of the sentiments from Dr. Bonnie Henry around anxiety and being kind in our communities, Mayor and Council would like to recognize that we are all experiencing significant changes to our lives and now more than ever it is time to support friends, neighbours, family and even strangers. It is crucial that we maintain our social connections in a virtual way and care for each other during this time.
Non-Medical Face Masks At this time, Dr. Henry says that wearing non-medical cloth masks is an option, but not a recommendation from the province. She says non-medical masks can protect from droplets, similar to coughing in to your sleeve and that non-medical masks should not be used as an alternative to physical distancing or frequent hand washing.
Similarly, Dr. Theresa Tam, head of the Public Health Agency said that Canadians can use non-medical masks while out in public purchasing supplies for your household. Non-medical masks can help prevent pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic people from inadvertently infecting others. Dr. Tam did indicate that wearing a non-medical mask does not necessarily protect the person wearing it.
It is also important to note, the general public should not use medical-grade N95 masks as these are needed for our frontline healthcare workers and emergency services.
To learn more, including how to make a mask at home and FAQs, visit the CDC.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html
Canada Emergency Response Benefit Program Officially Opens
The application system for the Government of Canada Emergency Response Benefit has officially opened today. Please note - applications may be submitted starting April 6
th through the 9
th and is based upon your birth month. (See Chart Below)
There are two ways to apply:
Online at https://www.canada.ca/…/s…/benefits/ei/cerb-application.html
Over the phone with an automated phone service:
1-800-959-2019 or 1-800-959-2041
Both of these services are available 21 hours a day, 7 days a week. Both services are closed from 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) for maintenance.
The BC Government has provided the following information today:
COVID-19 Cases:
- Total cases in BC to date: 1,266
- 586 in Vancouver Coastal Health
- 450 in Fraser Health
- 79 in Island Health
- 128 in Interior Health
- 23 in Northern Health
- Total recovered cases in BC: 783
- Total new cases in BC: 63
- Total fatalities in BC to date: 39
- Total cases in Canada to date: 16,568
- Total fatalities in Canada to date: 340
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Reminders:
To apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit Program, visit: https://www.canada.ca/…/s…/benefits/ei/cerb-application.html or call 1-800-959-2019 or 1-800-959-2041
To help provide important information to our community, the City of Nelson has developed a dedicated webpage nelson.ca/covid19 that will be updated frequently as new information becomes available. Please sign-up for ‘City News’ on NotifyMe to receive automatic updates from the City via text or email.
The City of Nelson relies on Interior Health, BC Public Health, and the Federal Government for information related to the virus itself. If you believe you are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, please contact your physician, or call the COVID-19 telephone line at 1-888-COVID19, to be assessed or call the testing clinic hotline at (250) 551-7500 to be triaged for testing. Symptoms of COVID-19 include coughing, fever, sore throat, and difficulty breathing. These symptoms may not present themselves for up to 14 days, but you may be a carrier of the virus; therefore it is important to follow the guidelines set out by the health experts.
To check your symptoms or get updates from the BC Government you can download the
BC COVID-19 App or visit this website News and information about the spread of COVID-19 is coming at us quickly. It can be hard to remain calm given all that is going on. Stress, anxiety, and depression are not unusual for people of all ages. But there are things we can do as individuals and collectively to deal with stress and support one another during these challenging times.
Visit the managing stress website here.
We thank you for doing your part to help maintain a safe and healthy community and for understanding the importance of this evolving situation.
Information from the BC Center for Disease Control on COVID-19
Media Contact:
Ginger Lester, EOC Information Officer glester@nelson.ca
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