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.
In a briefing note to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland from the spring, officials outlined "the case for runaway inflation" as part of a larger review of consumer prices.
The pill uses a combination of two antiviral drugs to prevent the virus that causes COVID-19 from replicating once it has infected a patient, but health officials stress it is not a replacement for vaccinations.
Several boards in the Toronto area, like the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, the Toronto Catholic District School Board and the York Region District School Board, said classes will go ahead remotely through online learning today. The Durham District School Board cancelled all in-person classes. Secondary students will shift to remote learning, while elementary students will have a snow day.
While the most challenging days of COVID-19 are predicted to be ahead for British Columbia’s health-care system, representatives for doctors and nurses say their members are on the verge of a possible collapse. Doctors of BC president Dr. Ramneek Dosanjh said it has been an overwhelming three years for her members.
That's when restrictions were set to expire, but Dr. Bonnie Henry said last week that they believed COVID-19 hospitalizations were expected to spike after cases within the community had peaked.
There are 35,985 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 257,677 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 819 COVID-positive individuals are in hospital and 99 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
