Creston, BC – July 31, 2020:This BC Day, please be safe in the woods. Whether you are out hiking, or camping overnight, bear in mind that with the increase in temperature, the risk of wildfire also increases. “Fighting wildfires can be challenging at the best of times, but managing them in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic requires BC Wildfire Service staff to operate with even greater care” said Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. Campfires are currently allowed in all areas of the province that fall under the BC Wildfire Service’s jurisdiction. However, people are urged to use caution and keep an ample supply of water nearby to fully extinguish their campfire.

• For more information on campfire safety and fire precautions please visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020FLNR0041-001423

BC Plans to safely bring K-12 students back to class full time: On Wednesday, July 29, 2020, Rob Fleming, Minister of Education and Dr. Bonnie Henry, Provincial Health Officer (PHO), announced their plan to return to school on September 8, 2020. On the advice of the PHO, students will be organized into learning groups, which will be comprised of a consistent group of staff and students. All boards of education and independent school authorities will continue to be required to implement a suite of health and safety measures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, following the recently updated guidelines from the BC Centre for Disease Control. Families will hear from their school district or independent school throughout the summer with updated health and safety guidelines for elementary, middle and secondary schools, as well as learning groups, schedules, enrollment and registration information with the final details being submitted to the ministry and posted online by the districts on Aug. 26, 2020.

• For more information on the K-12 Education Restart Plan visit: gov.bc.ca/covid19returntoschool  

For a listing of community exposure events in the Interior Health Region visit:

•    BC Centre for Disease Control (flights, worksites, etc.): http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/public-exposures 

•    Interior Health: https://news.interiorhealth.ca/news/public-exposures/ 

Media Contact:

• Kirsten Dunbar
• EOC Information Officer
• kirsten.dunbar@creston.ca
• 250 428-2214 (231)