Thursday May 14, 2020 ~ BC
by Mary Brooke, B.Sc. ~ West Shore Voice News
After only two days, the “Your story, our future” COVID-19 experience and profile survey has seen over 165,000 participants; that’s a jump up from the first day tally of 75,000.
For Health Minister Adrian Dix this is “extraordinary” and for Provincial Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry it’s, well, a confirmation of her success in generating public interest in the well-being of all of us during the pandemic as handled in British Columbia.
The online COVID-19 experience survey asks about the respondent’s health in general and as related to COVID-19, as well as opinions and feelings about various aspects of the pandemic as it has occurred in BC.
The survey (presented within the within the BC Centre for Disease Control website) takes about 15 minutes to complete, and at the end there’s an option to sign up to take part in a serology testing program.
The survey runs May 12 to 31, 2020. People of all ages are encouraged to participate.
Phase 2 of Restart BC comes after the May long weekend:
As we head into the May long weekend (Saturday May 16 through Monday May 18) — which for many people is the ‘official’ start to summer — Dr Henry wants everyone to be very conscious of their social interactions “as we move into Phase 2”. She wants people to think carefully about their own situation of contacts.
Phase 2 begins on Tuesday May 19 after the long weekend. People can begin to carefully increase or broaden their social contacts and businesses which have been closed or operating in an altered fashion can begin to have more employees on site and/or welcome more customers.
In Phase 2, businesses will need to have developed a Restart Plan in accordance with guidelines for their industry or sector. The plan will need to be visibly posted on a storefront and/or on a business website.
Socializing in Phase 2:
For social interaction in Phase 2, Dr Henry encourages smaller groups, ‘fewer faces and bigger spaces’, and in general spending less time (than would have been the pre-COVID normal) in close contact with people — both in your bubble of close contacts and outside your bubble.
Of what is understood about the COVID-19 virus so far, it transmits more easily in periods of longer contact, and of course within close range with people.
Minister Dix continues to encourage British Columbians to remain “100 percent all in” to the efforts of flattening the curve, including frequent hand washing, physical distancing, staying home if we’re the least bit unwell, and now — as Dr Henry explained again today — socially participating only in our small ‘bubble’ of immediate contacts.
Children so far considered less at risk:
Apparently COVID-19 is considered to have less impact on the health of children. However, some cases of a rare disease called Kowasaki’s has appeared in children who also test positive for COVID-19 (mostly in Italy, the UK and Spain where there have been larger outbreaks), says Dr Henry.
In BC’s Phase 2, children in Grades Kindergarten to Grade 5 may return to classrooms in schools starting June 1 (this is optional for families).
Today’s COVID-19 Statistics [May 14, 2020]:
As of 3 pm today Thursday May 14, there are 2,392 test-positive cases in BC (that’s up 15 since yesterday) — 878 in Vancouver Coastal, 1,149 in Fraser Health, 126 on Vancouver Island, 181 in the Interior Health region, and 58 in the north. Of those, 372 are active cases (58 of those people are in hospital — with 12 of those in ICU).
Full recovery among people who had dealt with COVID-19 after a test-positive result has been achieved by 1,885 people.
Fifteen long-term care outbreaks continue and four acute care facility outbreaks. The outbreak at the MSA rehabilitation unit has been declared over. Cases related to the care-sector outbreaks in BC tally at 500 (309 residents and 191 staff).
There are no new community outbreaks, Dr Henry said today. The Superior Poultry that was required to close is now re-opened, with protocols in place to protect the workers.
Since yesterday three more people in BC have died from the COVID-19 infection. That brings the BC COVID-19 death total to 135. Most of those deaths have occurred among seniors in long-term care or acute care facilities.