Richmond's four MLAs will hold a virtual townhall to answer questions about a restart plan rolled out by the provincial government on Wednesday afternoon.
The four-phased plan is meant to restart public and private sectors that have been shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jas Johal, MLA for Richmond-Queensborough, Linda Reid, Richmond South Centre, John Yap, Richmond-Steveston, and Teresa Wat, Richmond North Centre, will all be on Zoom at 10 a.m. Friday morning to answer questions about the provincial plan.
On Wednesday, Premier John Horgan announced a phased-in approach to easing some restrictions starting on the May long weekend with allowing day use of provincial parks and small gatherings.
But there could be a ban on concerts, conventions, large sports events and other large gatherings could be banned for up to two years, depending on whether a vaccine or treatment is developed.
Non-essential businesses will also be allowed to open up under the guidance of WorkSafeBC to make sure provincial health orders are followed.
After the rollout plan was announced on Wednesday, Johal said he’s been hearing particularly from small businesses who want clarity on how they can operate.
He said he’d be surprised if WorkSafeBC is ready to oversee every business sector across the province on such short notice, from the sari shop in Surrey to the cellphone repair shop on No. 3 Road.
“WSBC might not have the capacity to deal with all this,” Johal said.
But the biggest issue continues to be access to programs and money to support people and businesses through this crisis, he added.
To register for the town hall, organized by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, click here.
Those registered will receive an emailed Zoom link.
- with files from Glacier Media
