The Easter bunny may be allowed to travel around B.C. to break physical-distancing rules to deliver Easter treats across the province, but New West residents are being urged to stay home.
Premier John Horgan has granted a special “egg-emption” allowing the Easter Bunny to travel freely through the province to provide the essential service of spreading “egg-cellent” cheer. New Westminster Mayor Jonathan Cote also has a message for residents this long weekend.
“Things do look positive here in British Columbia, in large part thanks to the efforts that everyday residents are putting in to help us flatten the curve. But we cannot let up at this point in time,” he said about data related to COVID-19. “It is still an incredibly crucial point, and we need to be sure we are practising safe physical distancing. We need to stay home as much as possible.”
As someone living in a home with three children, Cote said he’s personally aware of the challenges of staying home.
“The weather is getting better and we are all getting a little stir crazy, but we need to make sure we are all still putting in our own personal efforts because it’s the only way we as a city and as a province are going to get through this,” he said. “If we can work hard now, it will make getting out of this happen a lot earlier and easier. I encourage New West residents to continue the dedication that they’ve already been putting in to following the provincial health guidelines, and really do everything they can to stay home as much as possible this weekend.”
When New West resident do go out to get some fresh air, Cote urges them to make sure they are using a lot of caution and practising safe social distancing.
“We are doing our best to try and implement some new measures to try and make it easier for people to practise safe social distancing, but what we are really encouraging is for people to actually stay local in their neighbourhoods,” he said. “When you go out for walks, go out for walks in your local neighbourhood or near your local parks and trails, and don’t necessarily seek out the most scenic locations because those are the areas we are most worried about. We definitely get the importance of getting fresh air and trying to get out in a safe way, but it will make it easier if we can stay in our own neighbourhoods.”
City officials have become increasingly concerned about the number of people who have been heading to New Westminster’s waterfront to enjoy a walk along the esplanade. While the city is hesitant about closing down any of its parks, as they have an important role to play in helping people with their physical and mental health during these difficult times, Cote said it could come to that if there are particular locations where people are not following social distancing guidelines.
“As an example, the City of White Rock has closed down their waterfront boardwalk because they were facing the exact same challenges there,” he said. “Cities are grappling with this. I think we are all hesitant to close down our parks and trails because we see the value that they are providing, but if certain locations continue to attract a disproportionate amount of people for their scenic reasons, those will be the first locations we are going to have to look at.”
In an effort to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, Metro Vancouver is advising people who want to walk, bike or run over the weekend to say closer to home and avoid travelling across the region to visit a park. Along with Barnston Isand and Brae Island regional parks, Metro Vancouver has now closed Deas Island Regional Park and Boundary Bay Regional Park until further notice and will close the parking lots at Lynn Headwaters Regional Park and the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve during the long weekend.
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix and B.C. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry issued a statement saying it is “critical to stay strong in our commitment to protect our province” and it is not the time to act in a way that sets back all the positive efforts made so far. They want people to avoid unnecessary travel, particularly to smaller communities where there are fewer health resources.
“Let’s bend the curve, not the rules, and stay safe,” they said.
