Sophie Gray
Local Journalism Initiative
The province is looking at ways for industries to continue in the new normal as COVID-19 cases continue to appear in B.C. including an outbreak at a poultry facility in East Vancouver.
During their joint daily press conference today, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister for Health Adrian Dix announced 25 additional test-positive cases in B.C.
The cases are mostly related to a new outbreak at a poultry processing facility in East Vancouver where 28 employees have tested positive for COVID-19, with some tests still outstanding. The plant has since been closed and an investigation led by Vancouver Coastal Health is ongoing.
Dr. Henry stressed that they do not believe there is a risk of transmission through the meat processed at the plant.
“I do want to say that I know there will be concern about the products that will come out of this,” she said. “We don’t have any evidence that COVID-19 can be spread from meat and from the consuming of products like that or from packaging on meat or chicken in this case.”
The additional cases from this outbreak are included in today’s numbers, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 1,724. Interior Health now has 153 cases, with 707 in Vancouver Coastal Health, 715 in Fraser Health, 109 on Vancouver Island and 40 cases in Northern Health. There has also been one additional death related to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.
Both Dr. Henry and Minister Dix mentioned again that although cases continue to appear, the province is looking to industries like hospitality and film to come up with ways that they can reopen in the coming months and work within strict safety parameters involving limited contact and social distancing.
“I’m looking to industry to say how we can do that within those parameters in the coming months?” said Dr. Henry. “There’s ways that we can open up our communities and open up our businesses and still maintain that important safety factor that protects us all.”
Henry maintained that “we are at those crossroads right now,” where actions now will predict what the future holds for businesses and the new normal in the coming months ahead. She and Dix stressed continued vigilance of hand washing, keeping our environments clean and limiting social gatherings.
