Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Updated: March 31, 2020 (10:20am)
Changes to City Services, Programs, Facilities, Meetings & Events
- Burnaby City Hall services by appointment only
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Effective Monday, March 23, Burnaby City Hall will serve the public on an appointment-only basis in order to assist with social distancing during the COVID-19 crisis. This will be in effect until further notice.
Members of our community are advised to use the following alternatives:
» Do the business online
» Do the business by phone
» Delay non-essential business until a later date
If you have no other alternatives, and must make an appointment for an in-person visit, please contact the staff member or department relevant to your business or the City Hall front counter at 604-294-7944.
- City closes all libraries, recreation and cultural facilities, golf courses and City-operated restaurants
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Effective Wednesday, March 18, all City of Burnaby public facilities, including all recreation centres, arenas, libraries (including home library and accessible service), cultural facilities, golf courses, and City-operated restaurants will be closed until further notice.
See list of affected facilities »
- All playgrounds and sports facilities within City of Burnaby parks are closed
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All playgrounds and sports facilities within City of Burnaby parks are closed effective immediately. This includes all playing fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, baseball diamonds, lacrosse boxes, skate parks and disc golf.
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Our parks and trails remain open, however many washrooms are closed. The following washrooms remain open: Burnaby Lake Sports Complex East, Squint Lake Field House, Barnet Field House East, Kensington Field House, Confederation Field House, Robert Burnaby Tennis Court Field House, Deer Lake Field House, Fraser Foreshore Field House, Central Park Tennis Field House and Central Park Variety Club Field House.
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A reminder to social distance when visiting parks and trails locations by keeping 2 metres between yourself and others.
- New penalties for people entering closed parks facilities
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The City is stepping up enforcement by issuing Bylaw Violation Notice and a $500 penalty to people caught using or entering a closed facility. This includes all playing fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, baseball diamonds and lacrosse boxes.
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Learn more: March 24, 2020 Council Report
- Online (WebReg) Registration is not available
- Refunds for Programs, Passes and Rentals
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Refunds are available for programs, passes and rentals that were affected by the closure of City facilities.
For programs, full refunds are available for any remaining sessions for current courses and for upcoming courses. Refunds are not available for past sessions or completed courses prior to March 12, 2020. A credit will be placed on your City registration account. If you would like a refund in a different form, please contact a community centre.
For passes, full refunds are available for any remaining punches on a punchcard, and for any remaining dates on a monthly, three month or annual Be Active Pass. Please contact a community centre for more details.
For allotments & rental refunds, full refunds are available for any remaining dates on a contract or for upcoming bookings. Please contact the facility booked for more details.
For Shadbolt Centre ticket refunds, full refunds are available for all cancelled productions. Please contact the Box Office at 604-205-3000 for more details.
- Council Meetings Continue and All Other Meetings Suspended
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Effective March 23, 2020, all regularly scheduled Board, Committee, and Commission meetings are cancelled until the end of April 2020.
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For the health and safety of the public, staff and Council, the public is encouraged to watch the all Open Council and Special Council meetings via the live webcast. Archived videos of the meetings are available the following day. Members of the public who wish to attend Council meetings in person may do so, but the City will be enforcing social distancing and group gathering limitations.
- City Suspends all City-Organized Events with more than 50 People
- Warming Centre services extended
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In order to continue to ensure the City meets the needs of people who are homeless in Burnaby while also complying with current British Columbia Centre for Disease Control social-distancing recommendations with respect to COVID-19, the City is making the following changes to Burnaby warming centres:
» Beresford Warming Centre will continue to operate until further notice
» Burnaby Lake Arena (at 3677 Kensington Avenue) will open on March 26 (at 8 p.m.), with operating hours from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily.
Further adjustments will be made, as needed, to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Meanwhile, City staff are following all infection control measures recommended by health authorities to prevent the spread of the virus. Enhanced cleaning measures and additional hand sanitizing stations are now in place at our facilities.
Contact us
If you have questions about City services, programs and facilities, please phone our City of Burnaby staffed call centre at 604-570-3800, 8am-6pm daily, or send an email to covid19@burnaby.ca.
What you can do
The most effective way to protect yourself and your family is to follow a few simple recommendations from public health officials:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water;
- Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing;
- Avoid touching your face;
- Avoid others who are unwell;
- Stay home when you are sick; and
- If you are out in public, try to keep 2 metres between yourself and others.
The symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, are similar to other respiratory illnesses, including the flu and common cold. They include cough, sneezing, fever, sore throat and difficulty breathing.
Use the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool to help determine if you need further assessment or testing for COVID-19. You can complete this assessment for yourself, or on behalf of someone else, if they are unable to.
Anyone concerned that they may have been exposed to, or are experiencing symptoms of the novel coronavirus, should contact their primary health care provider or call 8-1-1 (Health Link BC).
The province has created a phone service to provide non-medical information about COVID-19, including the latest information on travel recommendations and social distancing. Information is available in more than 110 languages, 7:30 am - 8 pm at 1-888-COVID19 (1-888-268-4319) or via text message at 604-630-0300.
Current Situation
As of March 30, there are 970 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in B.C, including 469 patients who have recovered and 19 people who have died. More details »
Across Canada, there are 7,695 confirmed cases and 13 probable cases of COVID-19, and 89 people have died. View the current situation and risk to Canadians.
The BC Centre for Disease Control continues to advise everyone has a role to play in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Regardless of risk level, the City of Burnaby has emergency plans and processes in place to monitor and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in the community and for City staff who may be impacted by the virus, including first responders.
The City will continue to work closely with, and following the direction of, Fraser Health Authority, Health Emergency Management BC, Emergency Management BC and other organizations as information changes.
Resources
Health Related Resources:
Resources for Business:
Housing Resources:
