Morning News Update for April 22, 2020

Hundreds of people had questions for Island Health officials at a virtual town hall meeting last night. 300 queries were asked ahead of time, and a dozen more during the livestream broadcast. The questions ranged from when cancelled surgeries will resume to whether COVID-19 sticks to hair or money. The CEO of Island Health, Kathy MacNeil said she expects non emergency surgeries will be rescheduled starting in mid-May. The Island's Chief Medical Officer fielded questions about testing, when social isolation rules could be relaxed and why some remote and island areas aren't being locked down. Dr. Richard Stanwick said officials from several health authorities discussed lock downs with the Provincial Health Officer. But, he said Dr. Bonnie Henry is committed to not going that route since most people are complying and have legitimate reasons to travel. you can watch a repeat of the broadcast on the BC Government Facebook page or its YouTube channel.Meanwhile, the Island Health region recorded its largest spike in COVID-19 cases since the middle of March. Seven new cases were confirmed over the past 24 hours, bringing our case count to 109. Five people remain in hospital with one in critical care. 32 others are recovering at home.Homeless people in the Parksville area have been invited to sleep in the graveyard between St. Edmond's and St. Anne's Anglican churches, according to the Nanaimo News Bulletin. 18 people were expected to do so, starting last night. The area's only shelter was forced to close in mid-March because it had no running water and could not provide safe physical distancing. Reverend Christine Muise of St. Anne's says so far, the Regional District of Nanaimo and the BC Ministry of Housing have been unable to replace the shelter, so the graveyard will be used as a temporary replacement. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Housing is reporting it has secured two locations with 50 spaces for vulnerable people to self-isolate and recover, including 10 spaces for women leaving violent situations. It is promising to secure more sites in the future. However, some involved in the process, including the Mayor of Victoria, have complained that even with these arrangements, hotel owners continue to refuse to provide shelter to substance misusers or those with mental health issues. On Sunday, BC's Minister of Public Safety announced $2000 dollar fines for accommodation owners that refuse to provide spaces.Written and reported by Lisa Cordasco. Senior Reporter and News Director for CHLY 101.7FM.Have a tip? Email: [email protected]: @lisacordasco / @chly1017FMFunded in by the Local Journalism Initiative of the Government of Canada through Heritage Canada in partnership with the Community Radio Fund of Canada.