iN NUMBERS: How the pandemic has changed our lives | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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iN NUMBERS: How the pandemic has changed our lives

50% decrease in E.R. visits in B.C.
Image Credit: Brie Welton

A lot has changed around the world in the last few weeks and a lot has changed in our world as well.

Since it became clear the coronavirus was here to stay, we've been trying to document how this has changed our lives. 

Some of that has been anecdotal, such as what appears to be a growing interest in food security and sustainability because garden centres reported an increase in business, vegetable seeds becoming hard to find and backyard chickens becoming impossible to find after a 50 per cent increase in orders.

With kids off school, Interior toy stores reported either being busier than previous March break weeks. Business was also brisk at Interior bike stores.

Anyone who has ventured outside their four walls will have found empty streets and quiet roads with travel on the province's highways dropping significantly. Numbers from the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure show there was a 16 per cent reduction in traffic on the Coquihalla Highway in the week March 16 to 20. Highway 3 near the Alberta border saw a reduction in vehicle volumes of 15 per cent.

20% increase in calls to Canadian Mental Health Association's Vernon crisis line since March 11.
20% increase in calls to Canadian Mental Health Association's Vernon crisis line since March 11.
Image Credit: Brie Welton

The following week, March 23 to 27, traffic on the Coquihalla was down 40 per cent, while traffic on Highway 3 near the Alberta border had dropped by 35 per cent. Vehicles travelling on Highway 97 near the U.S. border dropped by 62 per cent, over the same period in 2019.

With tourists staying home and pretty much everything shut, Kelowna cab company Current Taxi said they’ve seen “at least” a 50 per cent decrease in business, however delivery companies have been able to operate more efficiently and deal with what one company estimated was a 50 per cent increase in business.

Shares in cleaning product giant The Clorox Company jumped by over 30 per cent from the beginning of the year to March 17.

As commuters stayed at home to work the share price of online video conferencing company Zoom Video Communications increased by over 50 per cent, taking its share price, which hovered at around $100, to its peak at $160 on March 26.

Getting viewership numbers out of streaming giant Netflix is no easy task but the company which reported to have 167 million paid memberships in over 190 countries, did scrap high definition streaming in Europe, March 20, after concerns that millions of people hunkering down would put a strain on the internet.

These stats aren't to show winners and losers, but to show how our lives and habits have changed. For many that changed has been drastic. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business found 31 per cent of small businesses had closed completely. Restaurants Canada says 121,500 foodservice jobs were lost in B.C. since March 1 and one in 10 restaurants had closed permanently.

Have a look below at some of the other changes we have found. We're updating this story and our graphics as we continue. If you have something you want us to look into or have stats to share, please send an email to news@infonews.ca

Decreases in traffic on the Coquihalla in March.
Decreases in traffic on the Coquihalla in March.
Image Credit: Brie Welton

31% of small businesses closed completely—Canadian Federation of Independant Business
31% of small businesses closed completely—Canadian Federation of Independant Business
Image Credit: Brie Welton

121,500 food service jobs lost since March 1 in B.C. 1 in 10 restaurants permanently closed.
121,500 food service jobs lost since March 1 in B.C. 1 in 10 restaurants permanently closed.
Image Credit: Brie Welton

50% increase in share price for Zoom Video Communications on March 26.
50% increase in share price for Zoom Video Communications on March 26.
Image Credit: Brie Welton

15% decrease in calls to B.C. Ambulance compared to daily averages.
15% decrease in calls to B.C. Ambulance compared to daily averages.
Image Credit: Brie Welton

65% decrease in commercial flights worldwide March 9-30.
65% decrease in commercial flights worldwide March 9-30.
Image Credit: Brie Welton

6 cent decrease in Canadian dollar to US dollar within two weeks in mid-March.
6 cent decrease in Canadian dollar to US dollar within two weeks in mid-March.
Image Credit: Brie Welton

79 cents per litre of fuel at Kamloops Costco April 6, lowest price in the Interior.
79 cents per litre of fuel at Kamloops Costco April 6, lowest price in the Interior.

Grocery store and pharmacy visits in March.
Grocery store and pharmacy visits in March.
Image Credit: Brie Welton

Statistics for public activity, places visited and per cent of those staying home.
Statistics for public activity, places visited and per cent of those staying home.
Image Credit: Brie Welton

54% decrease in visits to restaurants, cafes, shopping centers, theme parks, museums, libraries, and movie theatres.
54% decrease in visits to restaurants, cafes, shopping centers, theme parks, museums, libraries, and movie theatres.
Image Credit: Brie Welton

80% decrease in traffic across all BC Ferries routes.
80% decrease in traffic across all BC Ferries routes.
Image Credit: Brie Welton

Image Credit: Brie Welton

Image Credit: Brie Welton

Image Credit: Brie Welton

Image Credit: Brie Welton

Image Credit: Brie Welton

Image Credit: Brie Welton

Image Credit: Brie Welton

Image Credit: Brie Welton

Image Credit: Brie Welton

Image Credit: Brie Welton

Image Credit: Brie Welton

Image Credit: Brie Welton

To contact a reporter for this story, email Ben Bulmer or call (250) 309-5230 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2020
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