Strict new orders issued to stop ‘rapid’ spread of COVID-19 in B.C.’s Lower Mainland

Calling it another challenging day for COVID-19 in B.C., Dr. Bonnie Henry has issued numerous new orders to try and stop the spread of the virus.

Henry, the provincial health officer, announced 567 new cases at a special update on Saturday, bringing the total since the pandemic started to 17,716.

The new cases include 122 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 411 in Fraser Health, 3 in Island Health, 22 in Interior Health, and 9 in Northern Health.

There are now over 100 people with COVID in hospital, with 31 in critical or intensive care.

When you add up the numbers, 94 per cent of the new cases are in the two Lower Mainland regions, which has become a trend the last while.

Henry said in the last two weeks, B.C. has seen “dangerously high, and a rapid increase of COVID-19 cases and outbreaks affecting the health care system and many other places across the province,” particularly in the Fraser and Vancouver Coastal health regions.

“We are also watching what is happening around the world and we are not alone in seeing these rising cases,” said Henry.

There are now 37 active health outbreaks with one new one in Mission on Saturday.

Henry announced several new orders affecting residents in the Fraser and Vancouver Coastal Health regions that take effect at 10 p.m. tonight (Saturday).

As a result, for the next two weeks her orders are:

– No social gatherings except for immediate household. Weddings and funerals can proceed with immediate family, but with no reception.

– Essential travel only. Residents in the rest of the province are advised not to travel to the Lower Mainland unless absolutely necessary and the reverse applies to south coast residents. There is to be no sports team travel.

– Gyms and rec centres are to stop holding indoor activities where sweating occurs, such as spin classes. There are to be no indoor sports games.

– All businesses must do worker/guest screening every day. Asking for name and phone number not enough.

Again, these new orders apply to the Fraser and Vancouver Coastal Health regions only in an attempt to reduce social interactions.

The 567 new cases is the second highest for the province, just shy of the 589 on Friday (Nov.6).