Sophie Gray
Local Journalism Initiative
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said we are getting close to opening up restrictions in the province during today’s COVID-19 update.
She, together with Minister of Health Adrian Dix, said that if the people of B.C. keep on this path, we could see restrictions easing in the coming months to allow some businesses the chance to open their doors.
Dr. Henry said they are starting to make plans for reopening parts of the province, but “are taking the time to do them right,” in order to meet the experience we are having here in B.C.
The provincial health officer said authorities will be sharing information on where businesses should share their plans for reopening safely in the coming days, making sure that all efforts are maximized.
But in order for those plans to be put into practice, Dr. Henry said the province needs to feel comfortable that businesses in every sector are practising safe working conditions, including not punishing employees who stay home if they are feeling sick.
““Protecting your employees protects your business and protects all of us,” she said.
This announcement came with an additional 50 test-positive COVID-19 cases over a two-day period. Most of the new cases remain linked to known outbreaks and the Mission Federal Correctional Facility, two poultry production plants and the Kearl Lake work camp. The work camp, said Henry, demonstrates the importance of tracking the virus within the community, highlighting the importance of public health’s ability to track the spread of the virus in the coming weeks.
“This is the work that we will need to do; the surveillance, the contact tracing, the testing for the weeks and months to come. And it’s what we need your help to continue. We cannot allow hotspots to flare up and affect our communities,” said Dr. Henry.
Minister Dix offered condolences for the three additional deaths since the last briefing two days ago, noting that two of those were in the Vancouver Coastal Health region and one in Fraser Health.
Dix also noted that use of health care has increased since concerns were raised two weeks ago regarding the large drop in the number of people visiting emergency rooms in the province. The numbers are back to roughly 4,000 emergency room visits in the last week, which is still down from numbers before the onset of the pandemic.
“We want to again ensure that people are seeking medical care when they need it in B.C.,” said Dix.
There are now 1,998 cases of COVID-19 in B.C. and 103 deaths as a result of the virus.
