Coronavirus (COVID-19) Local News

A heart flag is now flying in front of the Times Colonist building, a show of support for front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

An earlier version of this story included a photo that showed a downtown residential tower. We apologize for the use of that photo. Its use was not meant to imply that people living in that building might be ignoring self-isolation orders.

Donate at RapidReliefFund.ca . More options below. The money keeps coming in, and it’s going out just as quickly. The Rapid Relief Fund — for those most acutely hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic — has been a huge success.

Harmac Pacific is winning attention for the medical-grade pulp it produces for a U.S. customer and is assessing interest from potential new customers.

Dozens of testing and referral-only COVID-19 assessment centres have been set up on Vancouver Island as the health authority ramps up its efforts in the face of the pandemic.

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps is defending a council decision to have parks staff grow vegetable seedlings for those in need during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Victoria Tenant Action Group and Landlord B.C. are each calling for more government support as the COVID-19 crisis hammers many renters and property owners.

More than 150 years ago, Charles Dickens began his classic novel A Tale of Two Cities with the familiar statement that “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” That same line could be used to describe our COVID-19 context today.

British Columbia researchers are going to be looking at people’s susceptibility to COVID-19, the transmission routes the virus takes and also searching for a vaccine. But they’re also researching the “infodemic” that’s accompanying the pandemic.