A graphic image of what the viral curve might look like if the more infectious variant first discovered in the U.K. takes off in B.C. (Photo from SFU.) (Screengrab)
B.C.'s Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry indefinitely extended all restrictions on events and gatherings in B.C.
The current public health orders on gatherings and events are staying in place, Dr. Henry says. "We need to buy time," Dr. Henry says.
Specifically, time is needed to evaluate the new “variants of concern” and to get B.C.’s vaccination efforts back up to speed, Dr. Henry said.
B.C. has s seen locally acquired cases of both the U.K. and South African variants. A total of 4,500 tests have been sequenced and 28 were positive for one of the two variants, including eight cases of the South African variant with unknwn origin. So far, B.C. has not yet seen any cases of the Brazil variant.
The variants of concern are more infectious and some recent research is showing they may cause more severe illness, Dr. Henry said.
Meanwhile, the vaccination program in B.C. has trickled to a near halt in the past two weeks. Dr. Henry says she needs time to feel confident that the number of vaccines B.C. expects will actually be arriving.
So far, of the nearly 150,000 vaccinations that have been given in B.C., there have been 205 adverse effects, Dr. Henry's modelling shows. There have been 14 such events for every 10,000 vaccines given and 55 of these events have been "serious," like anaphylaxis.
The good news is that every person who gets COVID-19 in B.C. is now giving it to less than one other person, on average. Also, B.C.’s case numbers have been dropping and projections show they should continue to fall, "but it could change very quickly, like we have seen in other countries and provinces," Dr. Henry says.
Here’s what else has happened this week:
- SFU researchers are warning of massive growth in COVID-19 if the new variant first identified in the United Kingdom takes off in B.C. They recommended strict new rules on travel with mandatory isolation of travellers as well as better and more testing, including of travellers within Canada.
- In light of the new variants, B.C. is stepping up its genome sequencing of COVID-19 tests, Dr. Henry said. Random sampling is being done in areas with growing outbreaks and all international travellers are being tested.
- One person with the B.117 variant was at Garibaldi secondary school in Maple Ridge. Because of concern about spread, Dr. Henry says all of the contacts of that person in the school were tested. There were no other positive cases.
The British COVID-19 variant might make vaccines less effective, the New York Times reports.
- Students in B.C. middle and secondary schools will now be required to wear masks at all times in school, unless they are at their desk, behind a barrier or eating, but masks will still be optional for all elementary school students. Changes were also made to the guidelines around physical education and music classes. Teachers said the changes didn’t go far enough.
- At the end of last week, the Canadian government introduced new travel restrictions, including mandatory testing on arrival in Canada and a stay in a hotel room for up to three days while waiting for results, that might cost up to $2,000 per traveller. If a person tests positive, they may have to quarantine in that same hotel for two weeks, which could be very pricey indeed. (Side note: Must be a very fancy hotel.) At the same time, the government cancelled all flights to Mexico and the Caribbean.
- B.C. Premier John Horgan welcomed the new rules. “Our message about non-essential travel remains the same: if you do not need to travel, don't. I continue to speak with the prime minister and premiers across the country about ways we can continue to limit non-essential interprovincial travel,” Horgan said. “With vaccines on the way, we look forward to the day when we can once again welcome visitors to B.C. safely. Until then, we ask everyone to please stay home.”
- Both Johnson and Johnson and Novavax announced new COVID-19 vaccines, but they have not yet been approved for use in Canada.
- Canada will begin manufacturing vaccines, but they won’t be ready until later this year, the Province reports.
- Recovered COVID patients have at least six months immunity, a UK study shows, Reuters reports.
- Fraser Health reported COVID-19 outbreaks at three correctional centres this week – the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre, the North Fraser Pretrial Centre and the Fraser Region Correctional Centre. Fraser Health is restricting movement within those units, the province said in a news release. People in unaffected units are continuing with their normal routines.
- Governments are considering “vaccine passports,” the New York Times reports.
- Economic recovery may also be on pause until the vaccination effort is complete. New employment numbers show large losses across Canada in January, but B.C. bucked the trend, gaining 2,800 jobs, said Ravi Kahlon, B.C.’s minister of jobs, economy recovery and innovation. "This winter and the second wave of the pandemic have been a strain for people and businesses in British Columbia, but our combined efforts to follow the guidance of the provincial health officer have resulted in an economy that continues to show resilience,” Kahlon said in a statement. B.C. is now back to 98 per cent of pre-pandemic employment, Kahlon said, but he cautioned that challenges remain, particularly for the tourism and hospitality industries.
Let’s hope next week brings lots of vaccines and no new cases of the variants of concern.
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