Coronavirus (COVID-19) Local News

A ban announced Monday on anyone who isn’t a citizen or permanent resident — or American — coming to Canada is creating uncertainty for schools that host international students.

The City of Victoria shuttered Crystal Pool and Royal Athletic Park on Monday and announced the closure of city hall as municipalities across Vancouver Island scrambled to halt the spread of COVID-19.

Clipper Vacations is considering putting its ferry service between Victoria and Seattle on hiatus as a result of reduced demand during the COVID-19 outbreak.

All 12 Greater Victoria Public Library branches are closing their doors indefinitely due to the COVID-19 outbreak. So are all branches of the Vancouver Island Regional Library, which operates from Bella Coola all the way south to Sooke and Sidney.

Passenger traffic is down about 30 per cent at Victoria International Airport and several flights have been cancelled as restrictions are imposed on travel amid the COVID-19 crisis.

The City of Victoria has asked the provincial government to postpone a council byelection until after the COVID-19 outbreak is over.

Victoria police are asking the public to avoid its front counters at both its stations as part of efforts to deal with COVID-19. The police department has two stations -- at Caledonia Avenue in Victoria and Park Place in Esquimalt.

B.C. workers stricken by COVID-19 may soon find themselves walloped by uncertainty over compensation amid the global pandemic, a B.C. lawyer says.

Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, which operates 10 casinos in British Columbia including in Greater Victoria, is temporarily suspending all operations in an effort to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Several post-secondary institutions around the Island are putting an end to face-to-face classes as they deal with the spread of COVID-19.