Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 01 Mar, 2022 05:36 PM
VANCOUVER - British Columbia's provincial health officer says she's optimistic the province is moving to a "better place" that could see more COVID-19 restrictions lifted this month before spring break.
Dr. Bonnie Henry says a decline in hospitalizations, immunity from vaccination and the availability of at-home rapid tests point the way forward to normal activities like high school graduations that youth in particular need to feel connected to others.
Join Adrian Dix, Minister of Health and Dr. Bonnie Henry, BC’s provincial health officer for an update on COVID-19. #CovidBChttps://t.co/NqLNlkeM4D
However, she says not everyone will be ready or able to leave behind some pandemic measures like masks so it's important for people to be respectful of those who are immunocompromised or elderly because they're still at risk of infection.
She says businesses and workplaces will have to take responsibility for requiring some measures like vaccine passports, depending on the level of risk, and it's important to move slowly through a time of transition.
Henry says there are still some uncertainties about new variants, including BA. 2, with some cases present in B.C., though no cases of BA. 3 and Delta Omicron have been detected in the province.
Henry says she will soon shift to weekly updates as B.C. ensures it's prepared for a potential uptick in COVID-19 cases during respiratory season in the fall.
Dr. Katharine Smart, president of the national association, is urging the federal and provincial governments to take immediate action. The association is calling for short, controlled lockdowns, often called "firebreakers" or "circuit-breakers," which would close schools and non-essential businesses.
Questions remain about what the return to Parliament will look like for Canada's 338 representatives after the recent federal election saw the Liberals re-elected to a minority government.
The report comes less than a month after chief coroner Lisa Lapointe said January to June was the deadliest ever for drug toxicity in B.C. With data from July added, the report says the 1,204 suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths are the highest ever in the first seven months of a year — 28 per cent above the same period last year.
British Columbia has recorded another 652 cases of COVID-19 and 2 related deaths, according to an update posted after officials announced new regional restrictions for part of the Lower Mainland. There has been an uptick in coronavirus hospitalizations to 316, up from 303 on Monday, with 141 patients in ICU.
The committee recommends long-term care residents and people living in seniors' homes receive another shot of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine — like Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna — as long as it has been six months since their last shot.
A message left with his lawyer was not immediately returned and Movassaghi has not responded to the forfeiture action, but court documents show he has until mid-October to reply.
