This is the 100th media briefing that Dr. Henry and Minister Dix have done on #COVID19
There are 13 new cases in B.C. today.
Total # of cases = 2,835
There are 13 new cases in B.C. today.
Total # of cases = 2,835
Cases by health authority:
Vancouver Coastal Health = 960
Fraser Health = 1480
Island Health = 131
Interior Health = 199
Northern Health = 65
One additional death, of a man in long-term care.
Vancouver Coastal Health = 960
Fraser Health = 1480
Island Health = 131
Interior Health = 199
Northern Health = 65
One additional death, of a man in long-term care.
This is the trajectory of B.C.'s COVID-19 cases since January 
International travel made up a large part of B.C.'s #COVID19 cases. It hasn't dropped off, but it's related to Canadians returning home or temporary foreign workers
Most of B.C.'s recent COVID-19 cases have been in the Fraser Health, although it does affect the entire province
B.C. continues to have very low rates per million; comparing to the rest of Canada and the rest of the world.
B.C.'s #COVID19 death rate remains quite low, compared to Canada and the rest of the world
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control is working with other jurisdictions to develop a method to test waste water for COVID-19 RNA sequences, says Dr. Henry. Their research could become an early detection tool in our
communities.
communities.
Dr. Henry says wastewater has been tested in a Vancouver facility over the past 5 weeks and we have had no positives which shows low rate of #COVID19 transmission.
B.C. is gradually returning to more activities in our community. We are spending less time in home, more time at work, retail, recreational spaces. But we still remain lower than seasonal norms based on previous years.
The latest epidemiological modelling by B.C. health officials shows recent contact rates in the province are at 65 per cent of normal — hovering near the threshold for a potential rebound in new cases of COVID-19.
If we dramatically increase to 80 per cent … or normal … we can expect to see a dramatic increase in cases. Dr. Henry says we want to avoid this.
Dr. Henry says the goal is to remain around 1 (ie. for every 1 person infected, transmitting #COVID19 to only 1 other person). B.C. has manged to control exponential spread with current restrictions.
The province had previously said B.C. could go up to 60 per cent of normal contact rates, while keeping a lid on the number of new cases.
Safe contacts are important even as mobility increases, says Dr. Henry.
Minister Dix says the glimmer of success at March 27 modelling has endured till today. We must continue to do what is working. It is as important now as it was then.
Dr. Henry: “This is my nervous level, this is where I want to stay.”
If we did start to see increases in hospitalizations and ICU, those are warning signs and we would have to modify what we are doing.
If we did start to see increases in hospitalizations and ICU, those are warning signs and we would have to modify what we are doing.
Dr. Henry says there is a growing accumulation of evidence that children pass it on to each other, but they don’t really pass it on to adults. For young children in particular, they don’t seem as affected by it, and they don’t pass it on as effectively.
