‘High Vigilance,’ but No Drastic Action on Pandemic in BC

As countries around the world take steps to slow the spread of COVID-19, British Columbia health officials are stopping short of calling for school closures, cancellation of sporting events or restrictions on gatherings.

“We are still in a state of very high vigilance,” Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry said Tuesday while announcing seven new cases of COVID-19 in the province, bringing B.C.’s total to 39 cases and one death.

“We’re watching very carefully what’s happening around the world,” Henry said. “We know there are things we can do in our community today that will help all of us protect ourselves and family from the transmission of infections.”

She stressed the need for people to wash their hands regularly, cover their mouth when they cough and avoid touching their faces and eyes. Anyone who feels ill, even if it’s mild and may not be COVID-19, should stay away from other people and do any work or school from home, she said. People should also be careful about international travel, she said.

Health Minister Adrian Dix said that anyone who is sick should avoid going to places where there will be vulnerable people, such as the residence of an older person or a care home. Anyone seeking health advice is encouraged to first call the 811 Health Link number.

But while other jurisdictions are closing schools or banning large public gatherings, B.C. doesn’t consider those kinds of measures necessary at this time.

In Italy, where the number of cases passed 12,000 this week, people in cafes are to stay at least a metre apart and bars are closing at 6 p.m. In the hardest-hit regions, people without a valid reason for leaving home can be fined the equivalent of $320 Canadian. Air Canada has cancelled all flights to Italy until May 1.

A New York Times list of events cancelled due to coronavirus fears includes sporting events and conferences, Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day parades, Tokyo’s Cherry Blossom Festival and the South by Southwest conference and festival in Austin, Texas. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is encouraging residents to avoid sporting events, concerts and large gatherings and is considering restricting cruise ship travel.

In B.C. authorities are advising caution, but not widespread changes. Some organizations are, however, taking steps on their own.

Victoria’s Glenlyon Norfolk School closed its two campuses while someone in the school community waits for the results of a COVID-19 test. Another private school, Collingwood in West Vancouver, made a similar decision after a close contact of one of the school families tested positive for the virus.

Asked Tuesday about the Glenlyon closing, Henry said, “I don’t think it was necessarily necessary, but it’s fine in my mind that they want to make that decision.”

Schools can decide whether to close, she said, and it’s one of the tools that may help stop spreading infections.

Henry said a risk assessment is in place to decide on whether large gatherings like sporting events should go ahead. Factors include who is coming, whether the event is indoors or outdoors and what organizers can do to reduce risk.

“That can be anything from encouraging and supporting people not to come if they’re sick,” she said, “things like refunds or deferring payments.”

Outdoor events are lower risk than indoor ones and organizers should make sure facilities are available for hand washing and that people are encouraged to use them, she said. Any food should be individually packaged rather than served buffet style.

“There’s a whole host of things we can do to reduce risk and still allow these important gatherings to happen,” Henry said.

Officials from Northern Health, for example, are working with organizers of the Women’s World Curling Championship scheduled to start Saturday in Prince George.

“We have a detailed risk assessment that we do with all of the events that are happening,” Henry said. “It has to do with the numbers of people that are coming, where the teams are coming from, where they’ve been before they’ve come here... how many spectators there are going to be, how many teams, the ability of the community to respond should something happen, and as well the ability of the organizers to put in measures that protect people at those venues.”

Dix noted that the event would be televised and he planned to watch it that way.

Transmission within B.C. remains very low, so there is more concern around international travel, including to Washington State, Henry said.

Washington has 281 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and has had 24 deaths, though Gov. Jay Inslee said the number of cases could well be more than 1,000. The state this week cancelled gatherings of more than 250 people in the three hardest-hit counties.

Henry said individuals need to do their own risk assessments, but should adhere to Canadian government advice. That includes avoiding travel on cruise ships and considering the risk of being caught up in measures other jurisdictions may implement to prevent transmission of the virus.

Dix responded to a question about Vaisakhi events, including at least three large events scheduled for the Lower Mainland in April.

“We have a risk assessment model that can be applied to every event and we’re hoping that event organizers in circumstances like that engage with health authorities to make decisions that are in the best interests of all the people who might go and the whole community,” he said.

There is time to allow needed risk assessments, he said.

Both Dix and Henry stressed that anyone feeling ill should stay home.

On Wednesday the federal government announced a number of measures. It will waive the one-week waiting period for Employment Insurance sickness benefits for any worker who is in quarantine or who has been directed to self-isolate. It is also considering support for people who are ineligible for EI benefits.

There are 124,910 confirmed cases globally according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre, 65 per cent of them in China. Worldwide there have been 4,590 deaths.