Monday March 2, 2020 ~ VICTORIA, BC
West Shore Voice News
Early identification of COVID-19 cases is the key goal as well as urging returning travellers to self-isolate for 14 days upon their return to BC from COVID-19 affected areas.
This evening March 2 at 5 pm, Minister of Health Adrian Dix and BC Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry issued the following joint statement regarding updates on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Washington State:
“We send our condolences to our neighbours in Washington state, especially to the families who have lost loved ones. We have offered our support to Washington state’s public health officials as we co-ordinate our response to COVID-19.
“While the risk of COVID-19 spreading within British Columbia remains low at this time, we continue our widespread testing by screening British Columbians, as well as travellers with symptoms and their close contacts, to identify cases of COVID-19 early.
“Quarantine officers are always available to support the Canadian Border Services Agency’s screening conducted at land entries and airports.
“Given the intensity of the outbreak globally, we ask all travellers returning from Iran and China to self-isolate for 14 days upon their arrival in Canada. We ask all other travellers who are returning to, or visiting, B.C. from outside Canada to monitor themselves and their children closely for symptoms, and if any arise, to limit their contact with others and call 811.
“The most important measure anyone can take is preventing the transmission of respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. This includes cleaning your hands regularly, avoiding touching your face, coughing or sneezing into your elbow sleeve, and disposing of tissues appropriately.
“It is also very important to stay home and away from others if you or members of your family are sick. This includes staying home from work or school, and postponing visits to long-term care facilities.
“Similar to how you may need to care for someone with influenza, you will want to ensure you have sufficient food, medications and support in place for you and your family to stay home for a number for days. These are the normal preparations when someone in your family is ill. There is no requirement for British Columbians to stockpile supplies.”
==== BC CENTRE FOR DISEASE CONTROL:
For recommendations on
protecting yourself and your community, visit:
http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/coronavirus-(novel)
For more information and latest updates on COVID-19, follow the BC Centre for Disease Control on Twitter @CDCofBC or visit the centre’s website: http://www.bccdc.ca/
==== STATS from the WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (March 2, 2020):
The World Health Organization (WHO) risk assessment is now Very High worldwide (previously only China was risked as ‘Very High’).
- As of early morning March 2 (Pacific Time), globally there were 88,948 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with more new cases (1,598) reported outside of China than within China (206). Of all confirmed cases, 80,174 (90.13%) are in China (with 2,915 deaths), with 8,774 confirmed cases outside of China in 64 countries (128 deaths).
- Number of Cases and Deaths – North America: United States (62 cases, 2 deaths), Canada (19 cases, 0 deaths);both instances of infection by local transmission. In Mexico (5 cases, 0 deaths); imported cases only.
- On March 2, 2020 six new countries (Armenia, Czechia, Dominican Republic, Luxembourg, Iceland, and Indonesia) reported cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total affected countries to 64.
==== ROLE OF MEDIA: The WHO articulated in a report on February 26 about the role of media: “Yours is a critical role. This is the time for accurate reporting from official sources. Your role in an outbreak is not simply to chase the story; it is to perform a public service. Your actions are public health actions in every respect. You play a significant part in protecting the health and well-being of your fellow citizens,” it was stated by Dr Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. | Editorial by West Shore Voice News on communications effectiveness during the COVID-19 Pandemic (see page 2 in the February 28 to March 2, 2020 weekend digest of West Shore Voice News)
==== PANDEMIC: “While the risk of spread of COVID-19 within British Columbia remains low at this time, we continue to focus efforts on containing and delaying the spread of transmission, as well as preparing for the possibility of a pandemic. A pandemic is the spread of an illness to a large number of people on a global scale,” said Dr Henry on February 29.
==== WILL YOU TRAVEL?: “British Columbians with upcoming travel plans should continue to monitor the Government of Canada travel site for the latest travel advisories: https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/health-safety/travel-health-notices/210
==== BC LINKS:
Technical detail and updates on COVID-19 on Twitter
@CDCofBC or at BC Centre for Disease Control
For recommendations on protecting yourself and your community, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/BG_Coronavirus_Recommendations.pdf