UPDATE: 2:30 p.m.

Premier John Horgan spoke about the province's restart of in-class learning, the recent increase to the minimum wage and the protests against racism in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis during Horgan's weekly press conference Wednesday. 

Horgan said he was "pretty positive" about Monday's rollout of part-time, in-class learning in B.C.'s schools. 

“We're confident this can be done in a way that protects the health and safety of teachers, children, and all participants in the K-12 system," he said.

“We're pretty positive with the outcome at this point, and we're going to keep working to make sure that people are safe and preparing for a full restart come September."

The minimum wage was increased by $0.75 per hour on June 1, putting B.C. behind only Alberta when it comes to minimum wage. 

"We had planned for this increase three years ago when we put in place a yearly increase to get to $15 an hour by 2021, and with this increase we are on track to achieve that next year," Horgan said. 

Additionally, Horgan said he was "horrified to see what happened to George Floyd, who was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis on May 25, sparking protests around the world. Demonstrations are planned in Vancouver and Kelowna on Friday.

"While we do our level best to address racism here in British Columbia, it exists here as well. And while we do our best to ensure that law enforcement treats everyone equally, we have blemishes on our record as well," Horgan said. 

He asked that those who plan to take to the streets to protest racism in British Columbia maintain physical distancing if possible and wear masks to help reduce the transmission of COVID-19. 

ORIGINAL: 1:25 p.m.

Premier John Horgan provides an update to British Columbians from the B.C. Legislature about COVID-19 and other matters Wednesday.