‘We are not yet ready to make changes to the measures in place:’ Henry and Dix

B.C. health officials are not ready to relax the current health orders that have been impacting residents for the last several weeks.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer, and Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a statement Wednesday, new outbreaks have emerged this week and without continued vigilance, hot spots will quickly flare.

“We are not yet ready to make any changes to the measures we have in place. We must chart a safe path forward together – one that will protect our province and give us the confidence that we can stay safe while increasing our social connections,” said Henry and Dix in the statement.

“As Premier John Horgan has said, finding the right balance in this next phase of Covid-19 requires all us to work together, to follow our playbook principles and remember the basics of keeping a safe physical distance from others, with fewer faces and open spaces. We must also continue to show kindness and compassion to those around us, as we remain 100% committed. It is in all of our hands. Let’s remember to wash them,” said Dix and Henry.

The comments came just a half hour before Premier Horgan was about to announce the plan for gradually reopening B.C’s economy.

B.C. has 23 new Covid cases since Tuesday, bringing the total to 2,255.

That includes two new cases in the Interior Health region (179 total).

There have been three more Covid-related deaths, two in the Vancouver area and one on Vancouver Island, for a total of 124.

In the last day, there were no new long-term care or assisted-living facility outbreaks. In total, 17 facilities and five acute-care units have active outbreaks, with outbreaks now declared over at 17 care facilities.

Henry said public health teams are also providing support to a number of community outbreaks, actively contact tracing those who may be directly affected and their close contacts.

There are seven confirmed positive cases at Fraser Valley Specialty Poultry, 56 at Superior Poultry in Coquitlam and 35 at United Poultry in Vancouver.

There are also 134 inmates and staff confirmed positive at the Mission Institution federal correctional centre, as well as 16 positive cases of Covid connected to the Kearl Lake plant in Alberta.

To date, 1,494 people who had tested positive for Covid have recovered.

Of the total cases, 74 individuals are hospitalized, and 19 of those are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.