COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the US and India but the numbers for BC are being tackled. BC Health Minister Adrian Dix worried about the jump in cases in certain US states. Worldwide there have been 7.1 million cases of the new coronvirus.
There have been significant layoffs of bus drivers and deep service cuts on buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain and West Coast Express across Metro Vancouver. Nearly 1,500 bus drivers and other transit workers across Metro Vancouver are being laid off as TransLink faces plunging ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A report from the B.C. Real Estate Association says the 2020 COVID-driven recession will be deep, although it could be shorter than other Canadian economic downturns. The market intelligence report released Monday by the association says it expects home sales to sink 30 to 40 per cent for April 2020.
Canadian officials acknowledged some regions of the country could be closer to re-opening parts of the economy than others, but continued to stress a careful approach as the border closure with the hard-hit United States was extended for another 30 days during the COVID-19 crisis. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed the extension on Saturday for the closure restricting non-essential travel across the border, which began on March 21 and was set to expire on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government will provide $306 million in funding to help small and medium-sized Indigenous businesses suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
B.C's provincial health officer says three more people in the province have died after testing positive for COVID-19. Dr. Bonnie Henry says the latest deaths came from long-term care facilities and bring the province's total up to 81 deaths. The province has 29 new cases for a total of 1,647.
On Friday, the Liberals announced $1.7 billion to help clean up "orphaned wells" in oil-producing provinces, and a $750-million fund to cut methane emissions by providing loans to companies.
