Restaurant owners in B.C. are allowed to open their dining rooms starting Tuesday as the province lifts more coronavirus restrictions, but customers and workers are in for a different experience as restaurants cut back capacity and follow stepped up public health guidelines.
The protocols include moving to disposable or big board menus, limiting the number of people at a table and keeping space between customers at different tables.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said she understands there will be anxiety as B.C. moves to its next phase of reopening, in which a range of businesses open their doors for potentially the first time in several months.
“I would say, ‘take it slow,”‘ she said Monday. “I know people are a little bit afraid.”
WATCH | Infectious disease specialists break down what we know, and what we don’t know, about COVID-19:
Two months into the pandemic, infectious disease specialists break down what we know about COVID-19 — the information that sounds true, but probably isn’t, and what we still need to find out. 6:11
Henry said people are still learning new ways of, “safe social interactions” and, “doing things we’ve never had to do before.”
B.C. isn’t the only province moving ahead with further reopening. In Saskatchewan, stores, hairstylists and massage therapists are allowed to open their doors, also with restrictions on how many people can be in a space and guidelines around hygiene. Hairstylists operating in Saskatchewan, for example, will need to wear a face mask, a face shield and an apron.
Hard-hit Ontario is also lifting some restrictions on Tuesday as it allows retail stores with street-facing entrances to reopen. Provincial officials are expected to make an announcement about the rest of the school year in the afternoon.
As of 8:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Canada had 78,072 confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19, with 39,251 cases considered recovered or resolved. A CBC News tally of coronavirus deaths based on provincial data, regional health information and CBC’s reporting stood at 5,943.
The novel coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. The Public Health Agency of Canada says the risk associated with the coronavirus varies between communities, “but given the increasing number of cases in Canada, the risk to Canadians is considered high.”
Here’s a look at what’s happening in the provinces and territories
British Columbia enters Phase 2 of its reopening plan on Tuesday, which allows a range of businesses including restaurants, retail, medically related services, hair salons and offices to reopen. Organizations like museums, art galleries and libraries are also listed in the province’s Phase 2 plan, as are parks, beaches and child care. Though the businesses are allowed to open, the plan provided by the province still calls on people to stay close to home. Read more about what’s happening in B.C.
Some Ontario businesses will be allowed to open their doors Tuesday after being closed for two months in an effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. The province is giving the green light to retailers, some sports centres, vehicle dealerships and other businesses to resume. Read more about what’s happening in Ontario.
Toronto Mayor <a href=”https://twitter.com/JohnTory?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@JohnTory</a> says he hasn’t heard explicit assurances from the feds about money to help cities. <br><br>”I can’t take encouraging words to pay for child care, transit, housing… I need more than encouraging words. I need some explicit assurances and so do the other mayors.” <a href=”https://t.co/tEIQ6Z9gKD”>pic.twitter.com/tEIQ6Z9gKD</a>
WATCH | Cities verging on financial crisis with rising costs, reduced revenue:
Canadian cities are on the verge of a potential financial crisis caused by dropping revenues and rising costs during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they’re asking the federal government to step in. 1:52
Nova Scotia announced three new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, adding that there were no further fatalities to report. The province has seen a total of 1,043 reported cases, with 946 of those considered recovered or resolved and 55 deaths. Read more about what’s happening in Nova Scotia.
A Nunavut resident who is currently out of the territory getting medical treatment has tested positive for COVID-19. “We are confident this poses minimal risk of bringing the virus to Nunavut, as any travellers who might have come into contact with the patient have to isolate for 14 days prior to their return to Nunavut,” Dr. Michael Patterson, the territory’s chief public health officer, said in a news release. Read more about what’s happening across the North.
Here’s what’s happening around the world
WATCH | Trump says he’s taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventative measure:
U.S. President Donald Trump has revealed he is preventatively taking hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that is not proven to be effective in fighting COVID-19. 1:58
VANCOUVER – Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia’s ports since Monday.
The BC Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 are scheduled to meet for the next three days in mediated talks to try to break a deadlock in negotiations.
The union, which represents more than 700 longshore supervisors at ports, including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, has been without a contract since March last year.
The latest talks come after employers locked out workers in response to what it said was “strike activity” by union members.
The start of the lockout was then followed by several days of no engagement between the two parties, prompting federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to speak with leaders on both sides, asking them to restart talks.
MacKinnon had said that the talks were “progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved” — a sentiment echoed by several business groups across Canada.
In a joint letter, more than 100 organizations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada and associations representing industries from automotive and fertilizer to retail and mining, urged the government to do whatever it takes to end the work stoppage.
“While we acknowledge efforts to continue with mediation, parties have not been able to come to a negotiated agreement,” the letter says. “So, the federal government must take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by this disruption.
“We simply cannot afford to once again put Canadian businesses at risk, which in turn puts Canadian livelihoods at risk.”
In the meantime, the union says it has filed a complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the employers, alleging the association threatened to pull existing conditions out of the last contract in direct contact with its members.
“The BCMEA is trying to undermine the union by attempting to turn members against its democratically elected leadership and bargaining committee — despite the fact that the BCMEA knows full well we received a 96 per cent mandate to take job action if needed,” union president Frank Morena said in a statement.
The employers have responded by calling the complaint “another meritless claim,” adding the final offer to the union that includes a 19.2 per cent wage increase over a four-year term remains on the table.
“The final offer has been on the table for over a week and represents a fair and balanced proposal for employees, and if accepted would end this dispute,” the employers’ statement says. “The offer does not require any concessions from the union.”
The union says the offer does not address the key issue of staffing requirement at the terminals as the port introduces more automation to cargo loading and unloading, which could potentially require fewer workers to operate than older systems.
The Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and has seen a number of labour disruptions, including two instances involving the rail and grain storage sectors earlier this year.
A 13-day strike by another group of workers at the port last year resulted in the disruption of a significant amount of shipping and trade.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans’ fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.
Since the Oct. 25 launch of its Amazon.ca storefront, the legion says it has received nearly 10,000 orders for poppies.
Online shoppers can order lapel poppies on Amazon in exchange for donations or buy items such as “We Remember” lawn signs, Remembrance Day pins and other accessories, with all proceeds going to the legion’s Poppy Trust Fund for Canadian veterans and their families.
Nujma Bond, the legion’s national spokesperson, said the organization sees this move as keeping up with modern purchasing habits.
“As the world around us evolves we have been looking at different ways to distribute poppies and to make it easier for people to access them,” she said in an interview.
“This is definitely a way to reach a wider number of Canadians of all ages. And certainly younger Canadians are much more active on the web, on social media in general, so we’re also engaging in that way.”
Al Plume, a member of a legion branch in Trenton, Ont., said the online store can also help with outreach to veterans who are far from home.
“For veterans that are overseas and are away, (or) can’t get to a store they can order them online, it’s Amazon.” Plume said.
Plume spent 35 years in the military with the Royal Engineers, and retired eight years ago. He said making sure veterans are looked after is his passion.
“I’ve seen the struggles that our veterans have had with Veterans Affairs … and that’s why I got involved, with making sure that the people get to them and help the veterans with their paperwork.”
But the message about the Amazon storefront didn’t appear to reach all of the legion’s locations, with volunteers at Branch 179 on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive saying they hadn’t heard about the online push.
Holly Paddon, the branch’s poppy campaign co-ordinator and bartender, said the Amazon partnership never came up in meetings with other legion volunteers and officials.
“I work at the legion, I work with the Vancouver poppy office and I go to the meetings for the Vancouver poppy campaign — which includes all the legions in Vancouver — and not once has this been mentioned,” she said.
Paddon said the initiative is a great idea, but she would like to have known more about it.
The legion also sells a larger collection of items at poppystore.ca.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
