issue 26// vol 46 The province's reaction to COVID » Aid for citizens of BC—and big fines for rulebreakers Jessica Berget Editor-in-Chief n March 17, the province of BC declared a state of emergency due to the COVID epidemic. We've all heard about the various methods of how to stop the spread of this virus—washing our hands, staying inside, avoiding social interactions, etc. We are responsible for our own health and safety, but what is the BC government doing to ensure that the general population is safe and supported during this pandemic? To help stop the spread of the virus and possibly many more deaths, the BC government has issued health regulations for everyone to follow and bylaw officers have been recruited to help enforce these new regulations. The Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, has ordered the closure of bars, restaurants, and other businesses as well as any gathering with 50 or more people. People caught breaking these provisions can be fined up to $25,000 and suffer a six-month jail term under the BC Public Health Act. According to Global News, the Vancouver city council has already approved fines up to $50,000 for people caught breaking these rules. Besides ensuring social distancing rules are taken seriously, the BC government has also provided some aid for housing, transportation, financials, and employment for its citizens and businesses. In terms of rent, the BC government offers assistance to those who have lost income or struggle with their bills because of being laid off. According to the BC government website, The Residential Tenancy Act is made to support renters and landlords who have been affected by COVID and are in effect until the state of emergency is finished. The website iterates that tenants should still pay rent on time and in full wherever possible, but with some exceptions. “The state of emergency temporarily suspends a landlord's ability to end a tenancy if a tenant does not pay the rent in full and on time. A tenant who has not paid rent could face eviction once the state of emergency is over,’ reads the BC government website. However, there are still support for people who are still struggling. Temporary Rent Supplement will provide $500 per month available to low to moderate income renters who face financial struggles in the face of COVID. The supplement will be paid directly to landlords. Applications are now open on the BC housing website. The BC emergency benefit for workers supplies workers a one-time $1000 tax free payment for people whose ability to work has been affected by COVID. Information about this benefit has yet to be updated. The Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), who provides $500 a week to people affected by the virus, has also been supplied to those who fall under the requirements. Rent aid is not the only thing BC is doing to help the population. ICBC and BC Hydro customers can defer their payments » Areview of some misleading headlines from COVID-19 Jon Nicholas Contributor work. They’re political theater, not good public health policy.” eadlines are not always the truth. Nor are articles. How has the media done in its coverage of COVID-19 and Donald Trump? Travel restrictions When Donald Trump initially imposed travel restrictions on January 31, he was met by outraged media. Cries of xenophobia and racism abounded. The Atlantic in a February 18 article was critical of his actions: “Much of what he’s said publicly about the virus has been wrong, a consequence of downplaying any troubles on his watch. He has long stoked fears that foreigners entering the United States bring disease. Now he may double down on xenophobic suspicions.” Other publications toed the party line; many featuring a popular quote from WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, saying that the restrictions would increase “fear and stigma, with little public health benefit.’ Vox posted the headline: “The evidence on travel bans for diseases like coronavirus is clear: They don’t The Washington Post was also skeptical in many articles, such as one that quoted Ali Khan, former director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response at the CDC: “These are extraordinary measures to be implemented at this point. We're a global economy, people move, and if you have excellent public health and you are able to combine port-of-entry screening with follow-up of people, there should be no reason to put undue burdens on people around travel.” The tide has turned though. Suddenly the New York Times was reporting not racism, but “Trump's Slow Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic.” In an April 7 piece reviewing the COVID-19 timeline, The Atlantic seemed to reverse course also, “On January 31, the Trump administration at last did something: It announced restrictions on air travel to and from China by non-US. persons.” Was he too slow to respond? Or was he racist? Mainstream media has become less reliable than Democrats think Trump is. Kung-flu origins “This morning a White House official referred to #Coronavirus as the ‘Kung- Flu’ to my face. Makes me wonder what they’re calling it behind my back.’ The preceding tweet was posted by CBS News reporter Weijia Jiang on March 17. Kellyanne Conway responded to the quote by saying, “Of course it’s wrong,” before proceeding to ask Jiang who the culprit was. Given the opportunity to expose a racist, Jiang refused, saying “I think you understand how these conversations go.” Conway stood her ground: “I don't know how these conversations go and that’s highly offensive. So, you should tell us all who it is. I'd like to know who it is,” eventually adding that her husband is Asian, to which Jiang acknowledged that she had not done her research on and was unaware. Ina similar attempt with Trump, Jiang failed again to name her racist source of the offensive term. In the news // no. 5 Illustration by Athena Little with no penalty. The BC government froze student loan payments until the end of September with no accrued interest. BC transit fares and passes are also no longer required at this time. Since April 13, there have been 69 coronavirus related deaths in the province, making the total cases in the province nearly 1500. More than half of the deaths have been sourced from senior care facilities. press conference, Trump directly asked her who said “Kung-Flu” and Jiang replied with, “I’m not sure the person’s name.” Given two opportunities to name a racist, Jiang refused and could not even keep her story straight. Do we, “understand how these conversations go,” or was she “not sure the person’s name”? Not a single news outlet reported any truth to her suspect claim.