COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

COVID-19 is a health matter, overseen by the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia. Below are some helpful links to help you stay up-to-date with the latest information:

• Official Government of Canada COVID-19 Support Site
• Official BC Government COVID-19 Support Page
• Official BC Government News Releases
• Official Orders & Notices from the BC Government in Response to COVID-19
• BC Government's Official Plan to Restart the Economy: "BC's Restart Plan 
• Updates and briefings with Minister of Health Adrian Dix and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry are live streamed on the BC Government Facebook Page.

Official Twitter Accounts can often be the fastest way to get the latest information:

• Health Canada: @GovCanHealth
• BC Centre for Disease Control: @CDCofBC
• BC Government News: @BCGovNews
• Minister of Health Adrian Dix: @adriandix

Trusted Health Authorities: 

• Public Health Agency of Canada
• BC Centre for Disease Control (BC CDC)
• Island Health
• Health Link BC

City of Nanaimo: 

The City of Nanaimo will continue to provide updates to the City’s Response to COVID-19 page. These updates are also posted regularly to the City's homepage, on the City's website, as well as the City's Facebook and Twitter platforms.

On Wednesday, May 6 Premier John Horgan announced a plan to move forward with safely “restarting” the province. To read the full details of this phased approach to reopening the economy and lifting restrictions, visit the Province’s webpage BC’s Restart Plan.

There are four phases to the restart plan (see the restart page for details of each phase):

• Phase 1 – complete

• Phase 2 – begins May 19
  • small social gatherings
  • a resumption of elective surgeries and regulated health services like physiotherapy, dentistry, chiropractors and in-person counselling
  • provincial parks open for day use
  • opening more non-essential businesses in keeping with safe operations plans
• Phase 3 - between June and September, if transmission rates remain low or in decline
  • will include opening up of additional businesses and services
  • many remaining provincial facilities, including campgrounds, will reopen. A small number of parks that attract large crowds will remain closed.

• Phase 4 – will only be achieved when the threat of COVID-19 has been significantly diminished through widespread vaccination, broad successful treatments, evidence of community immunity, or the equivalent.

Highlights from the Plan:

How do businesses reopen?
“Sectors that were ordered closed will be asked to work with WorkSafeBC to develop plans to reopen safely. WorkSafeBC is developing industry-specific guidance to help employers bring workers and customers back safely. Any business restarting operations must ensure it is in compliance with the provincial health officer’s orders and in accordance with occupational health and safety guidance provided by WorkSafeBC” - COVID-19: Support for workplaces resuming operation

Businesses and organizations should familiarize themselves with the document Key Steps to Safely Operating Your Business or Organization and Reducing Covid-19 Transmission.

 Long-term:

• Stay home if you are sick – workplace policies to ensure people with cold, flu do not come to work, allow them to be off and/or have the option to work from home
• Wash hands
• Physical distancing – no large gatherings (concerts, conferences)
• Self-isolation for travellers returning home from other countries
• Consider using non-medical masks when shopping or on transit

For more details on how to Province of BC will move forward, read the BC COVID-19 Go-Forward Management Strategy.

 Additional Links:  

Support for Individuals and Families

Support for Businesses, Organizations and Industry

• The Public Health Agency of Canada has created a toll-free phone number (1-833-784-4397) to answer questions from Canadians about COVID-19.
• The province has created a phone service to provide non-medical info about COVID-19, including the latest information on travel recommendations and social distancing. Information is available in more than 110 languages between 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. at 1-888-COVID19.
• The BC Ministry of Health has a free-of-charge provincial health information and advice phone line available via HealthLinkBC (8-1-1).

For the latest updates and information regarding COVID-19 please go to the BCCDC's website. 

• Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Cover your cough using the bend of your elbow or a tissue.
• Practice social distancing. 
• If you have to go out, avoid crowded places and close contact with anyone, especially if they have a fever or cough.
• Stay at home if you feel unwell.
• If you feel sick, check your symptoms online using the BC Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 symptom self-assessment tool.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

According to the BC Ministry of Health, if you are experiencing the following symptoms: a fever, cough, sneezing, sore throat, or difficulty breathing you are strongly urged to to self-isolate for 14 days. You can check your symptoms online through the BC Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 symptom self-assessment tool found here: https://covid19.thrive.health/

Island Health has opened a COVID-19 screening clinic in Nanaimo. The clinic is open for those who have been referred by their primary health provider or by an 8-1-1 nurse.

The province has issued guidelines to support compliance with provincial health officer’s orders which outline the role of municipal bylaw officers in regards to providing assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic:

“Bylaw enforcement officers do not have the ability to detain an individual as a result of a contravention or suspected contravention of a public health order, or issue a fine or penalty, including an administrative penalty, under the Public Health Act.

Local bylaw and other compliance officers can, however, provide enforcement assistance for the PHO’s [Public Health Officer’s] orders by:

• monitoring facilities and areas closed to the public by a public health order;

• providing warnings, information and advice to businesses and members of the public about public health orders, including warnings to businesses and members of the public who may be acting in contravention of a public health order; and

• providing information on potential contraventions of a public health order for followup by health authorities.

Compliance officers will provide public health agencies with recommendations and advice on whether further action is necessary. Any enforcement will be at the direction of the PHO or local medical health officer.”

One of the questions the City has received is why the City is not doing more to enforce physical distancing when complaints are received. As COVID-19 is a health matter overseen by the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia, the City takes its direction directly from those authorities. The document Compliance and Enforcement Guidance about Public Health Orders with respect to Physical Distancing states that “there are no public health Orders addressed to the general public requiring them to maintain physical distancing outside their own homes, with the exception of inside food premises. The public has been provided with strong recommendations and guidance in this regard.”

The City will continue to encourage all residents to practice social distancing, but has been given no authority to act on complaints received, other than those circumstances outlined in the supporting documents and information provided.

Links to supporting documents:

City of Nanaimo News Release: Clarifying the Role of Bylaw Enforcement During COVID-19

BC Government News Release: New guidelines support compliance with provincial health officer's orders

BC Centre for Disease Control | BC Ministry of Health guidance toward compliance and enforcement: Compliance and Enforcement Guidance about Public Health Orders with respect to Physical Distancing

For the elderly living at home, the province has launched a new phone line and website to support you. Please call 2-1-1 and you will be connected with people who can offer support, which will include meal delivery, help with cooking, delivery of groceries and medications, and more. More information is available on the BC 211 website: http://www.bc211.ca/

We have created a webpage to share information and updates regarding support services available to vulnerable populations during the pandemic. Please visit our Support for Vulnerable Populations During COVID-19 page.

The BC Ministry of Health and the Provincial Medical Health Officer are not releasing that information.

You can go to the BC Government's page on Orders & Notices.

Yes, you may use City of Nanaimo parks and trails as long as you follow the guidelines outlined by the province. Stay home if you feel unwell, no gatherings, only go out with the people you live with and practice physical distancing by maintaining a minimum distance of 6 feet between you and other park users. 

On March 17, 2020, BC’s Medical Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, declared a Public Health Emergency. With this declaration, bars and nightclubs were ordered to close too. Restaurants and cafes must maintain social distancing or provide service only through delivery and pick up. Other businesses must incorporate measures to maintain social distancing for the health of their workers and patrons. 

Monitoring private business activities is not within the City’s jurisdiction. The City has closed its facilities to the public for the health of the community. 

You can find the list of the essential services on the BC government's COVID-19 Provincial Support page here: https://bit.ly/39nHUQg

Below are some resources that businesses, employees, and others may find helpful.

Local:

• City of Nanaimo's COVID-19 Business Resources page 
• Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce COVID-related business resource page

Provincial:

• COVID-19 Provincial Support and Information for British Columbians
• Small Business BC: Business Continuity & COVID-19 Small Business Resources
  • Contact info for Small Business BC: 1-800-667-2272 or askus@smallbusinessbc.ca  

Federal:

 

• Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan: Support for Canadians and Businesses
• Western Economic Diversification Canada response to COVID-19
  • Contact info: 1-888-338-WEST (9378), General Line: 604-666-6256, Toll Free: 1-888-338-9378, email: wd.bc-cb.deo@canada.ca
• Business Development Bank of Canada loans and advice - Support for entrepreneurs impacted by COVID-19
• Canada’s Trade Commissioner - COVID-19 Resources for Canadian Businesses
• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) – Employment and Social Development Canada
  

Yes, all City services will remain operational and staff will conduct business online, via conference calls, virtually or, where necessary, by appointment only. Online services and MyCity are available on the City website. As well, residents may call our general line at 250-754-4251, Public Works at 250-758-5222 or Parks, Recreation and Culture at 250-756-5200 to speak to someone, during regular business hours. 

Yes, City services are operating as normal. This includes garbage/recycling collection, water supply, sewer, drainage, roads, etc.

Please help keep sanitation workers safe by throwing the following items in the garbage:

• Disposable wipes
• Used Kleenex
• Any other paper soiled with human fluids or disinfectants/cleaners

These are challenging times, and we recognize your household’s curbside waste volumes may be affected. All households are encouraged to follow good waste management practices: properly sorting recyclables and organics, rinsing recyclable containers so they are free of food residue and saving space by flattening cardboard boxes and other bulky recyclables. Everyone should follow Safe Waste procedures: Bag all used tissues, disposable wipes and any other personal hygiene items, and always dispose these items in the garbage.

Use the tools available on the Nanaimo Recycles app available for free download from the App Store and Google Play as well on the Garbage and Recycling Calendar page on the City website.

Please note: We are not taking any new cart exchange requests at this time. When our front counter services resume normal operations, we will begin accepting cart exchange forms and payments. We will continue deliveries to newly occupied homes that do not have an existing set of carts. Our apologies for inconvenience this may cause.

Some recycling depots within Nanaimo are closed, or may be operating with limited services. Please call the depot before you visit. In the case of depot closures, please store your recyclables until further notice, and practice good recycling standards of rinsing containers, and flattening boxes and other bulky recyclables.

Please do not put refundable beverage containers into curbside waste collection carts. If you do not have room to hold onto your beverage container recyclables, there are many Empties 4 Food donation bins across Nanaimo, including some outside the Regional Recycling Hayes Road location. Visit the Loaves & Fishes website for more information.

The "What Goes Where" tool on the Nanaimo Recycles App has up to date information on which depots are open. Download the free app from the App Store or Google Play. If you don't have a smart phone, you can find the information on the Garbage and Recycling Calendar page on the City website.

Yes, the regional landfill on Cedar Road remains open with regular operating hours. Do not visit the landfill or other depots if you are in quarantine or self-isolation related to COVID-19. To reduce the spread of COVID-19 and keep staff and public safe, avoid using cash when possible and consider delaying your visit to the landfill and recycling depots, unless absolutely necessary. 

Council meetings are still taking place, but a number of changes have been made to meeting processes. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the guidelines outlined by the Province through Ministerial Order No. M083, changes to Council meeting processes are currently in effect. These changes include:

• Members of the public are asked to observe meetings virtually and not attend in person.
• Delegation requests for unrelated Council matters will not be permitted under this order and throughout the duration of the pandemic.
• Special meetings will be conducted electronically only, by Zoom or another electronic format, as attending virtually allows Council to comply with physical distancing.
• Question Period has been temporarily suspended.

All previously scheduled registered drop-in programs, events and facility rentals are cancelled. Field rentals are available and some new, outdoor registered programming has been scheduled and available for registration at recreation.nanaimo.ca. 

All City of Nanaimo-operated facilities are closed.

Parks and trails within the City of Nanaimo and the Regional District of Nanaimo remain open. 

  The following recreational amenities are NOW OPEN:

• Nanaimo water parks
• Tennis
• Pickleball
• Skateboard parks
• Steve Smith Bike park
• Dog parks
• Playgrounds
• Gated basketball courts
• Volleyball courts
• Lacrosse boxes

Many recreational amenities were closed, the following remain CLOSED:

• Recreational facilities (community centres, pools, arenas, gyms)

Washroom facilities in City parks are open and maintained by staff. Please practice physical distancing should you or you and your immediate family use any of our parks.

Please remember to follow the guidelines:

• Adhere to physical distancing guidelines from anybody outside their household (2 metres or 6 feet)
• Wash their hands properly before coming to the park and after leaving
• Bring hand sanitizer or antiseptic wipes
• Avoid the area if sick or if they have been exposed to someone who has been sick or if a child is immunocompromised
• Consider visiting playgrounds at less busy times
• Not share equipment, toys, food, water bottles or other personal items
• Not congregate in groups larger than 50

 

On Easter long weekend, the City launched a Parks Ambassador Program. Trained Parks Ambassadors will be present at some of Nanaimo's busiest parks to remind residents to always practice physical distancing while in Nanaimo's parks and on the trails. These ambassadors can easily be identified by the public. They are wearing bright yellow Parks, Recreation and Culture vests.

This program is intended to create awareness of the importance of practising physical distancing, as well as share other health-related actions that individuals can take to stay healthy and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Park Ambassadors are the "eyes and ears" for the park and will respond to issues as they arise. Additional responsibilities include the removal of litter, disinfecting of high touch points, invasive plant removal, minor graffiti removal and reporting any instances of social disorder.

The City recently expanded the program which now covers areas around Maffeo Sutton Park, Westwood Lake, Bowen Park, Neck Point Park and Colliery Dam, as well as smaller parks, trails and beaches.

 

Yes!

As of June 3, 2020 City of Nanaimo playgrounds have been open. See news release and please follow guidelines listed below. 

• Adhere to physical distancing guidelines from anybody outside their household (2 metres or 6 feet)
• Wash their hands properly before coming to the park and after leaving
• Bring hand sanitizer or antiseptic wipes
• Avoid the area if sick or if they have been exposed to someone who has been sick or if a child is immunocompromised
• Consider visiting playgrounds at less busy times
• Not share equipment, toys, food, water bottles or other personal items
• Not congregate in groups larger than 50

City of Nanaimo water parks are open daily 9 am to 8 pm! Water parks are located in Harewood Centennial Park, Deverill Square Park, Departure Bay Park and Mansfield Park. See news release and please follows same guidelines. 

Field rentals are available however there are guidelines in place when booking. Fields remain open for casual use, as long as you follow the public health Orders. 

Following direction from the BC Medical Health Officer, indoor recreation facilities are closed until further notice. City personnel are monitoring the COVID-19 situation as it continues to evolve.  As this is a health matter, overseen by the Government of Canada and the Province of BC, we will continue follow recommendations from the Ministry of Health and Health Authority and respond accordingly.

Yes, credits and refunds will be processed as soon as possible.

We will be refunding 12 month and 1 month passes. Nanaimo Parks, Recreation and Culture staff will be contacting pass holders regarding your pass. We appreciate your patience.