UPDATE: Another extension for BC's state of emergency

(UPDATE: June 10 @ 2:20 pm) - The province has extended its state of emergency for a sixth time.

It allows Mike Farnworth, solicitor general, to continue using extraordinary powers under the Emergency Program Act to support BC's pandemic reponse.

"Under the provincial state of emergency, our government continues to address the variety of needs throughout British Columbia in response to COVID-19," Farnworth said.

"We've been working with communities throughout this crisis, and the provincial state of emergency helps ensure our efforts continue in a mindful and co-ordinated way."

The latest extension keeps the promise under a state of emergency until June 23, 2020, at which point it'll be reevaluated by the provincial government once again.

(UPDATE: May 27 @ 2:35 pm) - Another two weeks has come and gone and the provincial government is once again extending British Columbia's state of emergency.

It's being done for a fifth time, once again for two more weeks, and we've now entered unprecedented territory when it comes to the length of a provincial state of emergency.

"We are now in the longest state of emergency in our province's history, and British Columbians everywhere have shown we have what it takes to persevere through these challenging times," said Premier John Horgan.

"As we slowly turn the dial on our social and economic activity, we must work together to do so in a way that keeps our communities and loved ones safe in the weeks and months to come."

BC's minister of public safety, Mike Farnworth said the fifth extension of this state of emergency comes as the province begins to safely and carefully restart under phase two of its Restart Plan.

It's being extended through the end of the day on June 9, at which point it will be reevaluated once again.

(UPDATE: May 13 @ 2:30 pm) - It may seem like things are slowly getting back to normal in British Columbia, but that doesn't mean we're out of the woods just yet.

Premier John Horgan has extended the provincial state of emergency for a fourth time since the COVID-19 pandemic begin.

"Because of our determination and sacrifices over the past months, we're now in a position to carefully move toward the next chapter in our response to COVID-19, but we must not lose sight of the challenges that are ahead," said Horgan.

"At each and every step forward, your government will continue in its commitment to keep our communities safe and support people through this difficult time."

Minister of public safety Mike Farnworth said that as the province looks to increase our social and economic activity, "we must remember that the fight against COVID-19 is far from over."

This latest extension is good until May 26, at which point things will be evaluated for a fifth time.

(UPDATE: April 29 @ 2 pm) - For a third time, the Government of BC has formally extended the province's state of emergency.

This time it's been extended until May 12, at which point things will be reevaluated for a fourth time.

British Columbians have shown great leadership in our efforts to flatten the curve, but we can't take our foot off the gas now," said Premier John Horgan.

"As we look toward the future and our 'new normal,' we must remember what got us to this point and continue to stay the course now to keep our communities and our loved ones safe."

Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth said that the extension allows the government to continue to take action to keep communities safe and make sure BC stays on the right path in the weeks and months ahead.

In a release, the government highlighted a number of actions taken over the past two weeks, which include:

• Working with the cities of Vancouver and Victoria to transition people living in encampments in Oppenheimer Park, Topaz Park and on Pandora Avenue into safe, temporary accommodations with wraparound supports to protect their health and safety in the overlapping COVID-19 and overdose crises.
• Developing a new collaborative framework that will help ensure people living in rural, remote and Indigenous communities in B.C. have access to critical health care they can count on to meet their unique needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Partnering with the federal government on the federal-provincial Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program, which will reduce monthly rent for thousands of small businesses in British Columbia.
• Giving police and other enforcement officers the ability to issue $2,000 violation tickets for price gouging and the reselling of medical supplies and other essential goods during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
• Distributing up to $35.6 million over three months through Community Living BC to ensure people with developmental disabilities stay supported and safe during the pandemic.
• Providing enhanced relief for businesses by reducing most commercial property tax bills by an average of 25%, along with new measures to support local governments facing temporary revenue shortfalls as a result of COVID-19.

All of these actions are part of the provincial government's COVID-19 Action Plan, which includes $5-billion in income supports, tax relief and direct funding.

Today's extension of the provincial state of emergency is based on recommendations from BC's health officials.

It was originally declared by Dr. Bonnie Henry on March 18.

(UPDATE: April 15 @ 1:35 pm) - The Government of BC has formally extended the province's state of emergency for a second time.

This allows Solicitor General Mike Farnworth to continue using extraordinary powers under the Emergency Program Act to support BC's COVID-19 pandemic response.

"British Columbians should be proud of the way we have responded to this crisis. But the work is not over," Farnworth said.

"We must hold our ground and take all the steps needed to make sure our communities remain safe and our essential service workers are supported in our ongoing efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19."

Horgan added that British Columbians are "leading the way in our efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19" in what is a very challenging time.

The state of emergency is extended through the end of the day on April 28, 2020, at which point it can be addressed and potentially extended once again.

(Original story: March 31 @ 6:45 pm) - Premier John Horgan addressed the province tonight, nine weeks after the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in British Columbia.

While he glossed over some of the great work that various parties across the province have done in that time, he stressed that the next 14 days are absolutely vital.

For that reason, and in a move that had to be expected, he announced that the provincial state of emergency was being extended.

Premier John Horgan delivers a province-wide address to British Columbians on COVID-19.

For resources and more information about our response to COVID-19 see https://t.co/dNeIGC2C3X #COVIDBC https://t.co/opwA99V7fv

— BC Government News (@BCGovNews) April 1, 2020

“COVID-19 may be the biggest challenge our province has ever faced, so tonight I’m extending BCs state of emergency so we can continue to implement measures that keep BC safe,” he said.

He said that what we do today will affect what our doctors, nurses and first responders face in the days and weeks ahead.

He asked every single British Columbian to recommit to doing their part in the fight against COVID-19.

“There are early signs that our actions are making a difference, and we can’t stop now,” said Horgan.

He also reminded BC residents that following the direction of Dr. Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer, were not just suggestions, but rather the law.

That means staying home as much as possible and when outside, staying at least two metres away from others.

Thanks to the Emergency Program Act, our province’s minister of public safety, Mike Farnworth, has been able to issue a series of orders to ensure a coordinated response to COVID-19 across all levels of government.

Some of the steps the government has taken to ensure people and businesses are supported during these trying times include:

• Providing $5 billion in income supports, tax relief and direct funding for people, businesses and services;
• Halting evictions, freezing rents and introducing a $500 temporary rental supplement;
• Amending the Employment Standards Act to protect jobs for those unable to work for reasons relating to COVID-19;
• Launching a process to match essential service workers with child care in their communities and supporting child care providers with temporary emergency funding;
• Bolstering seniors' supports at community service agencies with $50 million and expanding bc211, a provincewide information and referral service to match seniors whose support network has been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak with volunteers;
• Supporting families who rely on food banks with a $3-million emergency grant to Food Banks British Columbia; and
• Providing people and organizations in the arts sector with a $3-million Arts and Culture Resilience Supplement to be administered by the BC Arts Council.

"Our government is continuing to take all actions necessary to keep our communities safe, goods moving, and essential service workers supported," Farnworth said.

"This is an unprecedented time in our province. We're working hard to alleviate the pressures that we're all facing, and we will get through this together."

The provincial government can extend the period of a declaration, in this case a provincial state of emergency, for further periods of time for up to 14 days at a time.

That means Horgan will address the state of emergency once again on April 14.