Dr. Henry eases B.C. restriction on pandemic’s one year anniversary

Mar 11, 2021 | 1:56 PM Pete McIntyre

“Indeed, this has been a year.”

That’s how Dr. Bonnie Henry started her Covid-19 update today, on the one year anniversary of the global pandemic being declared.

The provincial health officer reported 569 new cases and three new deaths.

B.C.’s overall total is 86,219 cases and 1,397 Covid-related deaths.

“Over the past year, what we have seen very clearly is that no one is immune, no community is immune to the virus and the impacts that come with it. And the pandemic is still very much with us,” Henry commented.

Henry said the most effective tools to control the spread of the virus have been the public health actions combined with individual efforts.

“We have made the biggest difference by our individual actions that gives us collective safety,” the province’s top doctor added.

Henry announced an easing on one restriction, to allow up to 10 people to hold outside gatherings.

“This means your children can have a play date with their friends over the March break, but with their same group of friends, and if they’re in school, with the group of kids they’re in a cohort with. You can meet friends outside to have a coffee, have a chat, or have a picnic in the park with your grandparents,” Henry said.

There are no changes at this time on the restrictions for indoor gatherings.

And B.C. health officials are giving restaurants and bars a heads up about Saint Patrick’s Day. Liquor sales will be cut off at 8 p.m. on March 17 for sales at bars, restaurants and retail liquor stores.

Dr. Henry says health officials have spent the last week working with the food and beverage industry on the new public health order.

New cases by health region:

140 Vancouver Coastal
301 Fraser
41 Island
26 Interior
60 Northern
1 person who resides outside Canada

There are 4,912 active cases, with 244 people in hospital, and 68 in critical or intensive care.

Data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control shows the Okanagan had 85 new Covid cases last week (Feb. 28-Mar. 6), with 8 in Greater Vernon and 66 in the Central Okanagan (Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country). Click here to see last week’s case numbers.

Greater Vernon (Vernon, Coldstream, RDNO Areas B and C) has had a total of 605 cases since Jan. 2020, with 56 in Armstrong-Spallumcheen, 243 in Salmon Arm and 2,959 in the Central Okanagan. Click here for complete data.

Dr. Henry said cases in B.C. started to climb again in mid-February, but hospitalizations are coming down and the number of deaths has decreased dramatically.

She said most of the current transmissions are due to gatherings like social events, birthday parties and meetings with people in indoor areas.

“The other main transmission source is in workplaces, where people can not actively separate and the risk is higher,” Henry stated.

Health Minister Adrian Dix said 279,782 residents have received their first dose of a Covid vaccine, which is 6.5 per cent of the population.

The B.C. government is speeding up its Covid vaccine roll out, as the appointment scheduling system is now ahead of the original March 15 deadline, despite some major glitches earlier this week.

Starting at noon today, health authorities across B.C. started scheduling vaccine appointments for people aged between 85 and 89, or those born in 1936 or earlier.

The number to call to book an appointment in Interior Health is 1-877-740-7747.

Interior Health update:

Update on outbreaks:

· Cottonwoods Care Centre long-term care in Kelowna has 13 cases: 11 residents and two staff.

· Kelowna General Hospital unit 5B has three cases: two patients and one staff.

· The Florentine in Merritt has two resident cases.

· Brocklehurst Gemstone long-term care in Kamloops has 32 cases: 24 residents and eight staff, with two deaths connected to this outbreak.

Outbreaks declared over:

· Interior Health declared two outbreaks over today:

o Highridge/Singh House group home in Kamloops had 13 cases: five residents and eight staff.

o Westsyde Care Residence group home in Kamloops had 30 cases: 17 residents and 13 staff, with two deaths connected to this outbreak.