Playtime during COVID time: Dr Henry’s advice

Friday July 31, 2020 ~ VICTORIA, BC

by Mary Brooke, editor ~ West Shore Voice News

The BC Day long weekend is coming up Saturday August 1 through Monday August 3. The weather is usually appropriate for outdoor activities. Warm temperatures and no rain is the forecast for the full weekend on south Vancouver Island.

“To play safe and stay safe this weekend, and protect all of our communities from COVID-19, we all need to use the layers of protection we have available and keep your groups small,” said Dr Henry yesterday.

Today on July 31 BC Health released Dr Henry’s ‘good times’ COVID guidelines (including safe partying, visiting, and hooking up), available online at https://goodtimes.gov.bc.ca/

“Staying a safe distance from others is the best way to slow the spread of the virus. If you are in a crowded area, outside or inside, and you can’t maintain a safe physical distance, wearing a mask is a further protective layer.”

“We also need to remember to wash our hands regularly, clean surfaces more often, follow one-way pathways and always, without exception, stay home if you are at all feeling ill,” says Dr Henry.

“The actions you take make a difference and will help all of us to stay safe this summer. Let’s bend our curve back down and keep our province strong,” says Minister Dix.

Canada Day lessons applied to BC Day long weekend:

“What we have seen is that when our groups are too big and we see too many people outside of our household bubble, the potential for the virus to spread increases,” says Minister Dix. We voiced our concern and British Columbians have listened. We thank you for resetting and rejoining our efforts to push our COVID-19 curve down and keep it low and slow in B.C.”

People in their 20s to 40s have spread the virus to friends, families, and strangers at house parties, bars, restaurants, and more, it was affirmed today on the BC Government’s ‘Good Times’ website.

“BC travel is a welcome break, but it is a not a holiday from skills,” said Minister Dix today. “Pack our COVID skills. It is not a break from COVID sense.”

“On the BC holiday long weekend, through summer and fall – physical distancing must always be our closest travel companion,” the Health Minister said.  He suggested that the letters B & C in BC Day could stand for “Battle Covid”, “break the chain”, and “bend the curve”.  And with additional enthusiasm: “That would be a BC day weekend to remember.  Safe and fun and memorable for all the right reasons,” said Dix.