There were a number of themes relayed through today's COVID-19 Provincial update from Health Minister Adrian Dix and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry; with Mr. Dix tackling topics related to travel into the province and some calls for BC to retaliate by stopping the transit of medical supplies produced in BC from transiting to the United States.
“Travellers, irrespective of where you are returning from, you must immediately self-isolate for 14 days from the moment you arrive at the airport or cross a land border – without question and without exception."
Mr. Dix also called on the Federal government to step up its presence and measures at airports, in order to ensure that they providing for as much protection for residents as possible.
Calling for a greater capacity to make use of the Quarantine Act and to follow up on cases of those who have returned to Canada and British Columbia.
"It seems to me that the work that everybody is doing in British Columbia, the sacrifice that every citizen is making in this province, the leadership of the health system, the leadership of Doctor Henry.
Has to be supported by action, when people come from other countries to ensure that Quarantine orders, that self-isolation for fourteen days, which is a requirement of everyone, happens"
In another question from he media conference, the Health Minister dismissed a suggestion that medical gear being produced at a Nanaimo area pulp mill could somehow be held back for shipment to the US as a form of retaliation over American moves over 3M N95 masks.
"First of all, what we need to do, it seems to me. Is support the Prime Minister, to support our political leaders in seeing that actions that don't make sense for Americans and don't make sense for Canadians are not pursued.
So I think we should make those efforts, rather than contributing and making the problem worse and going tit for tat we should work together for a result that will benefit all of us ... COVID-19 doesn't know borders, so we want our American friends to do well, we want their response to COVID 19 to be effective and it needs to be effective, it's important for us that it's effective.
I'm very proud of the workers at Harmac, of the work of health care workers in Canada and I'm also very proud and admiring of the work of the health care workers in the United States, as depicted on your network and on other networks everyday, this is our fight together."
Mr. Dix also observed on how Canadian officials both Federal and provincial were working hard together to resolve the issues of supply and other concerns.
When it came to the relay of the daily overview of the current COVID situation, Dr. Henry delivered the presentation.
“We are announcing 53 new cases, for a total of 1,174 cases in British Columbia.
Every health region in British Columbia has patients with COVID-19:
541 are in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 412 are in the Fraser Health region, 74 are in the Island Health region, 126 are in the Interior Health region and 21 are in the Northern Health region.
There have been 35 COVID-19 related deaths in British Columbia. In the last 24 hours, we are saddened to report a further four deaths in the Vancouver Coastal health region. Three of them related to a Seniors health care centre.
We offer our condolences to everyone who has lost their loved ones."
On hospitalizations, Dr. Henry observed that the numbers went down slightly today, with 146 people are currently in hospital with 64 in critical care units.
641 British Columbians have fully recovered from the disease.
As they have at each briefing through the recents weeks, both provincial officials urged British Columbians to commit to the program of self-isolation, physical distancing and other recently implement measures..
“Like Canada itself, each province and territory has had their own unique experience, with a different curve and a different response. But we have all been united in our focus.
Here in British Columbia, people have gone to extraordinary efforts, making sacrifices to protect their families, our health-care workers and our communities.
This is the moment that will make the difference.
We must hold the line and be unwavering in our commitment to keep our firewall strong, to slow the spread of COVID-19 and flatten the curve."
The Public Health Officer also addressed a number of questions related to compliance of the Public Health Orders and how the province is moving forward towards any need for enforcement of those Orders.
You can review the latest notes from today's Briefing here.
The BC Centre for Disease control has some valuable Coronavirus notes related to COVID-19 you can explore that information here.
Federal Government site
British Columbia Government site
The World Health Organization website also offers up the latest advisories on the global situation.
More from Northern Health can be reviewed here
You can review our archive of past statements and local information here.
Local governments and organizations have also provided for increased awareness of COVID-19 issues, the string of statements that came quickly at the end of the week can be reviewed here.
For notes from across Canada and British Columbia we have been archiving the latest items through our political portal Darcy McGee
Ottawa Observations
Victoria Viewpoints
Cross posted from the North Coast Review.
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