Saturday March 28, 2020 ~ BC
by Mary Brooke, B.Sc. ~ West Shore Voice News
BC Health and the Provincial Health Officer held their daily COVID-19 joint news conference on Saturday March 28 in Vancouver.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues in British Columbia, with an increase in confirmed cases and hospitalizations expected in the next few days to a week. That is based on what is thought to be the 14-day incubation period of the COVID-19 coronavirus, and that community spread is evident.
The continued call for physical distancing (staying 2 meters or six feet apart from people) and self-isolation (staying home) are the main public health efforts to containing the viral spread. Even people with mild (or non-evident) symptoms can shed the virus, hence the need for physical separation between people during the pandemic.
LOCKDOWN vs STRATEGIC DIRECTION:
Today Dr Henry says she hears people are asking why BC hasn’t done a full lockdown as has been done in other jurisdictions or countries. “How we’re doing things here in BC is similar to what others are calling a lockdown,” she said. BC is moving ahead in a “more strategic and thoughtful and purposeful way, rather than putting blanket restrictions on certain things,” the Provincial Health Officer articulated.
“In recent weeks we have implemented strategic restrictions in the province; to reduce high-risk points of transmission, while keeping essential activities going,” said Dr Henry.
There would need to be so many exceptions to a lockdown — in order for essential services to continue and for people to get groceries, etc. — that a lockdown would very likely require more management and more direct enforcement (things that would draw resources, time and energy away from the delivery of critical acute care).
Minister Dix reported out that there has been a significant increase in the number of responses in ambulance services to flu-like illness. But that overall, calls are down. He commended the ambulance workers of CUPE 873 across BC for their efforts that have been “extraordinary”.
VENTILATOR SUPPLY:
Dix repeated today about 72 additional ventilators being brought into the arsenal of acute care equipment in hospitals. There are 705 ventilators now available, with more expected to arrive in BC this coming week, said Dix.
When ventilators are used early in acute care intervention, a patient’s ability to move through the course of the disease to full recovery occurs more rapidly, said Dr Henry in Saturday’s news conference.
STATISTICS at MARCH 28, 2020:
As of March 28, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in BC is 884, of which 92 are new today.
Every health region in British Columbia has patients with COVID-19: 444 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 291 in Fraser Health, 60 in Island Health, 77 in Interior Health, and 12 in Northern Health.
“We are saddened to report another COVID-19 related death in the Vancouver Coastal region, resulting in a total of 17 COVID-19 related deaths in British Columbia,” said Dr Henry.
One new long-term care home in the Fraser Health region has a resident who has tested positive for COVID-19. There are now COVID-19 cases in 12 facilities in BC (all in Fraser and Vancouver Coastal health regions). Public health officials are providing support to implement outbreak protocols.
Of people who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 in BC, now 396 (or 45%) have recovered and no longer have isolation requirements.
Of the total COVID-19 cases, 81 individuals are currently hospitalized. Of those, 52 are in intensive care. The remaining people who have tested positive for COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation.
MANAGING THE CURVE:
A more manageable expression of COVID-19 in BC (through physical distancing and people staying home in self-isolation) will mean a better chance of protecting health care workers and providing the best possible acute care for patients requiring acute care hospitalization for COVID-19.
Health Minister Adrian Dix wants everyone in BC to continue practicing self-isolation (staying home except for essential things like going to the grocery store) and practicing social/physical distancing by staying one to two meters apart from other people.
“Keep doing it every day, 100 percent of the time. This is how we make our circumstances better,” said Dix.
ACUTE CARE READINESS:
Now over 4,000 hospital beds have been freed up in the province to be ready to accept an influx of patients requiring hospitalization for COVID-19, said Dix. That’s up from 3,903 on Friday. To achieve this, all elective surgeries were cancelled by BC Health and the Provincial Health Officer on March 16. That has allowed time for hospitals and health care workers as well as administration to reorient their attention to handling an influx of patients with COVID-19 coronavirus infection.
A full list of 17 primary care hospitals around the province will be made public next week. In Victoria, two main hospitals on that list will be Victoria General Hospital and Royal Jubilee Hospital, as mentioned by Dr Henry in her comments to media today.
Smaller hospitals and health facilities will be ready to accept patient overflow — those will not be COVID-19 patients (but regular surgical and other health care scenarios). COVID-19 patients will be cared for in separate wards with dedicated teams of health care workers, so as to prevent spread to other patients and to allow for use of personal protective equipment efficiently and effectively in ways that reduce the opportunity for spread of infection to health care workers.
The first announcement of identified sites will be in the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, and then in Fraser Health, explained Dix. “There will be some movement on this next week,” he said.
“We are determined to prepare for the worst, and that everyone works their guts out for get results. We’re in an unprecedented health emergency. We need everyone all in now,” said Dix. He reminded everyone to “be true to our families” by remembering to follow all the health orders including continue to self-isolate, practice social/physical distancing, and not take any unnecessary trips out of the house.