By Lyonel Doherty

Many people want to know the location of positive test cases of COVID-19, but health authorities are still keeping this confidential.

Boundary-Similkameen MLA Linda Larson said this was the number one question during a virtual town hall meeting Friday evening.

The meeting was attended by local politicians and health care officials to discuss the coronavirus and to answer questions surrounding the response.

Larson was asked to give her personal highlights of the meeting.

“The number one question is where are the cases, and the answer is the same as Dr. Henry (provincial health officer) has already stated: there is no plan to disclose.”

Larson said authorities believe that people will be more willing to come forward for testing without having fingers pointed at them.

The MLA said no children under the age of six are infected with COVID-19 within the Interior Health region. She added that accommodation would be made for a parent to stay close if their child was hospitalized.
Larson said Interior Health is reaching out to seniors to make sure they are not in distress.

“Care aides are still making calls wearing appropriate protective gear.”

Larson said another question is how long can the virus live on surfaces? The answer is a few hours to two days, depending on the surface.
“Wash your hands and wipe down surfaces regularly,” Larson said.

The MLA noted that taxi drivers are at risk of contracting the virus, adding that both drivers and passengers need to wash their hands. And surfaces must be cleaned.

No deaths have been recorded to date in the Interior Health region, Larson said.
She noted that concerns were raised about inter-provincial travel, adding the rules are the same in Alberta as in B.C. and must be adhered to.

Larson said seniors who are volunteers in the community can continue if they wish (if they are healthy).
Another question is can you get the coronavirus twice?

Larson said the answer is “probably not” within the current pandemic, but it’s unknown six months from now.
She stated there is uncertainty about the length of time of contagion, but it appears people are most contagious when symptoms are obvious (but not definitive how long before or after symptoms). Therefore, keep the minimum 14-day isolation rule, Larson said.

“Even if you self-isolate for 14 days as required, if you are not feeling well or are returning to Canada and are symptom free you must continue social distancing from everyone who does not live in your household until this pandemic is deemed to be over by the provincial health officer.”
The meeting heard that the COVID-19 test is mostly accurate with very few false negatives.

Does heat, such as a sauna, kill the virus? There is no current evidence.

It was noted that more than one type of coronavirus strain has been identified.
Larson said the bottom line is wash your hands frequently, only go out for the essentials, and practice social distancing.

“Interior Health appears to be as well prepared as any health authority for a sudden increase in people needing to be hospitalized.”

More stories from the meeting to follow . . .