BC Today – Daily Report March 9, 2020 Quotation of the day “Wash your hands like you’ve been chopping jalapenos and you need to ​ change your contacts.” Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry urges British Columbians to take practical hygiene ​ ​ precautions as the number of COVID-19 cases in the province continues to climb. Today in B.C. On the schedule The house is adjourned for a two-week constituency break. MLAs will return to the legislature at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 23. The next scheduled committee meeting is the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth on March 30. B.C. launches pandemic coordination plan as COVID-19 cases rise to 27 On Friday, British Columbia Premier John Horgan announced the launch of a provincial ​ ​ ​ ​ pandemic coordination plan, in response to the global COVID-19 outbreak that has seen 27 cases in B.C. The plan — which focuses on “delaying, containing and preparing the province to minimize ​ ​ serious illness and economic disruption” — will be implemented government-wide by a deputy ​ ministers’ committee appointed by the premier. Horgan, along with Health Minister Adrian Dix, will chair a new cabinet committee to which the ​ ​ ​ deputy ministers’ committee will report. “Through this coordination plan, we will ensure they have the support they need so we are prepared for all possibilities,” Horgan said. “From the first day the world learned of this outbreak, B.C.'s public health officials have delivered the most robust response of any jurisdiction in this hemisphere.” The first phase of the plan — focused on identifying and containing COVID-19 cases — is already underway in a bid to “delay the onset of widespread community transmission for as long ​ as possible.” Phase 2 primes the province for the use of emergency powers under the Emergency Program ​ Act and the Public Health Act to direct action and resources as needed to ensure provincial ​ ​ ​ services can continue to function and businesses can continue to operate. The second phase outlines four priorities, three of which are aimed at protecting the general population, vulnerable individuals and health-care workers. The fourth priority — supporting the ​ ​ capacity of provincial health-care services — would see health authority emergency operation ​ ​ ​ committees assess local planning and response capabilities and ensure hospitals are able to cope with local outbreaks. That could include discharging low-risk patients, deferring scheduled surgeries and finding new care spaces within existing hospitals. The pandemic response plan was developed in coordination with the BC Centre for Disease Control and is informed by B.C.’s experience with the H1N1 and SARS outbreaks, according to provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. ​ ​ “Thanks to the great efforts made by our public health leaders and health-care workers, we ​ have kept the risk of COVID-19 spread low in B.C., but it is important for people, communities and organizations to build resiliency and have plans in place, not just for the possibility of a pandemic, but emergency in general,” she said. Number of cases climbs over weekend Six new cases of COVID-19 in B.C. were confirmed on Saturday, bringing the province’s total ​ ​ number to 27. Two of the new cases are residents of the Lynn Valley Care Centre who likely contracted the illness from a woman who works at the facility and was confirmed to have the virus last week. The care worker is a woman in her 50s with no recent travel history. Her diagnosis was announced on Thursday and, as of Saturday, health officials were still trying to determine how she contracted the virus. “All residents of this facility have now been screened, and Vancouver Coastal teams are on site ​ to support the families and continue to investigate in detail,” Dr. Henry said. “Public health teams have notified facility staff and residents, and are meeting with their families.” The province’s most severe case so far — Case 13, a woman in her 80s — remains in hospital ​ ​ ​ but is now in stable condition. Two of the cases confirmed on Saturday — a couple who were passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship — are also being treated in hospital. The rest of the COVID-19 cases in the province have been mild enough to remain at home. Four are now considered fully recovered. More than 2,000 people in the province have been tested for COVID-19 to date. Alberta confirmed its first COVID-19 case yesterday with three presumptive cases awaiting further test results. Ontario has reported 31 COVID-19 cases, and Quebec has four probable cases. Worldwide, there have been more than 3,800 deaths and more than 109,000 cases. On ​ Sunday, Italy — which has faced one of the largest outbreaks — ordered 16 million people in the northern region Lombardy and 14 other provinces on lockdown, including those in major cities Milan and Venice. Today’s events March 9 at 9 a.m. — Penticton ​ ​ NDP MLA Ravi Kahlon, parliamentary secretary for Forests, Lands, Natural Resource ​ ​ Operations and Rural Development, will make an announcement about wildfire risk reduction supports for local governments and First Nations at the Penticton Indian Band Health Centre March 9 at 10 a.m. — Burnaby ​ ​ Minister of State for Child Care Katrina Chen will be joined by Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley and ​ ​ ​ ​ Gary Wong, Burnaby Board of Education chair, at Westridge Elementary School to celebrate a ​ milestone in the Childcare BC plan. March 9 at 10 a.m. — Castlegar ​ ​ Children and Family Development Minister Katrine Conroy, MLA for Kootenay West, will be ​ ​ joined by representatives from Interior Health at the Castlegar and District Community Health Centre for an announcement on increasing access to primary care in Castlegar. Upcoming events March 11 and 12 — Washington, D.C. ​ ​ The ninth round of negotiations between Canada and the United States on the Columbia River Treaty will take place in Washington, D.C. This round of talks was scheduled to take place in November 2019, but was postponed at the request of the United States negotiating team. March 13 — Ottawa ​ ​ ​ Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland will host a ​ ​ ​ ​ meeting with Canada’s premiers. The agenda includes economic competitiveness, climate change, natural resource development, middle-class job creation, health care, infrastructure and transfer payments. Premier John Horgan told reporters his top priority for the meeting is to ​ ​ discuss federal health transfers. Topics of conversation ● Jobs Minister Michelle Mungall hailed Statistics Canada’s February labour force survey ​ ​ results as proof the province’s “strong, stable economy” is still chugging along despite ​ slight slips in both unemployment (+0.5 per cent) and employment (-0.3 per cent) rates compared to January. “British Columbia's unemployment rate of 5% remains among the ​ lowest of all provinces in Canada,” Mungall said in a statement. “In February, average ​ ​ hourly wages rose 30 cents to $29.13. Over the past year, hourly wages have increased by $2.12 (7.8%), leading the country in year-over-year wage growth.” ○ The survey attributes the rise in unemployment to an increase in job seekers in B.C.’s labour market. The province also saw an uptick in hours worked last month after inclement weather led to work disruptions across the province in January. ○ Liberal Jobs critic Jordan Sturdy responded to the numbers by calling on the ​ ​ NDP government to implement a jobs plan. ● The Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) and the BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) are calling out Solicitor General Mike Farnworth over a January 27 letter in which he ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ authorized the internal redeployment of RCMP resources to the Houston area in response to “opposition to the [Coastal GasLink] pipeline.” The letter reveals “blatant hypocrisy and lies” on the part of Farnworth and Premier John Horgan, according to ​ ​ UBCIC Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, as both have previously stated that the province ​ ​ has no capacity to “direct the RCMP.” ○ “The provincial government can no longer deny responsibility for the Indigenous rights and human rights violations happening on our territories,” said Chief Na’moks, one of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs who opposes the pipeline. ​ “We have come to the table with respect and truth, but the province is not demonstrating respectful or truthful conduct. We have always asserted our laws and presence peacefully, yet the province authorized the extra deployment of RCMP against us.” ○ In a statement to the Canadian Press, the public safety ministry clarified that, ​ ​ while the solicitor general is responsible for ensuring police have adequate resources to maintain public safety, the office has no jurisdiction to direct enforcement action. “To be clear, no elected official in British Columbia directs police operations,” Farnworth said in the statement. ● James Robertson is officially the BC Liberal Party’s Port Moody—Coquitlam candidate, ​ ​ ​ ​ following a selection event at the Old Orchard Hall in Port Moody yesterday. ○ Three candidates are vying to be the party’s pick in Maple Ridge—Mission. A nomination date for the riding — currently held by NDP MLA Bob D’Eith — has ​ ​ not yet been set. ○ The Liberals are set to choose their candidate for Oak Bay—Gordon Head on April 4; the riding is currently held by Independent MLA Andrew Weaver, who ​ ​ will not be seeking re-election. Meanwhile, the party has opened candidate ​ nominations in Attorney General David Eby’s Vancouver—Point Grey riding, ​ ​ ​ which Eby won from former premier Christy Clark in 2013. ​ ​ ● Clocks in the Yukon sprang forward for the last time yesterday after Premier Sandy ​ ​ ​ Silver announced the territory is ditching the biannual time switch. But in B.C., where ​ more than 93 per cent of respondents to a 2019 survey on the issue said the province should stay on daylight saving time year-round, things are less certain.