Wednesday April 8, 2020 ~ GLOBAL and BRITISH COLUMBIA
by Mary Brooke, B.Sc. ~ West Shore Voice News
Several months now into the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus around the globe, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) statistics for infection with the disease at April 8, 2020 (Report #79) show 1,353,361 confirmed cases and 79,235 deaths. Of that death tally, 6,695 are recorded new in the last 24 hours, so the spread is still very much on.
The most rapid spread of infection in North America is in the United States with 363,321 confirmed cases today and 10,845 deaths (1,286 deaths in the last 24 hours); New York City is currently an intense hot spot. On the west coast, Washington State was an epicenter, causing concern Canada (BC in particular).
Canada by comparison (with about 10% of the US population) has 17,049 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 345 deaths (52 in the last 24 hours). Different US cities and states have different levels of emergency or lockdown, and in Canada all provinces are in some state of emergency. Canada for over a week now has restricted the travel of people from the United States into Canada to just essential (cargo and transport) and casual visitors or tourists are not allowed at this time.
In BC there is an official state of emergency and as a society we are effectively on lockdown through a mosaic of measures issued by the Public Health Officer. This Easter Weekend will be a long one — not just being a traditional ‘long weekend’ of four days, but in terms of activity restrictions.
British Columbians are being asked to stay home in self-isolation and to maintain physical distancing if they need to go for essential reasons. BC Parks are closed, and people are reminded to keep the 2-metre/6-foot distance if going outdoors in their own neighbourhood for some fresh air.
As of today, anyone who returns home to BC from travel outside of the province or the country must self-isolate for 14 days, without exception. If self-isolation plans have not been arranged by an incoming traveller, they will be held in 14-days self-isolation (aka quarantine) by the BC Government. Premier John Horgan himself made this announcement today, and made it very clear that BC is stepping up the requirements for proof of self-isolation plans and adherence to them.
Together the USA and Canada, along with Mexico and South America (in the WHO’s region called “Americas”) shows 417,416 cases and 12,597 deaths (1,500 in the last day).
The most rapid spread of infection in Europe is still in Spain and Italy. While Italy had the most rapid rate of infections and deaths for a while, Spain has surpassed their neighbour in the last week or so. The number of cases in Spain today is 140,510 with 13,798 deaths (743 of those in just the last day). Italy today showed 135,586 cases and 17,129 deaths (604 in the last day).
Where early restrictive movement was brought in (such as in Israel and Norway), the death count is relatively low: 9,404 cases in Israel with 71 deaths, and 5,863 cases in Norway with 69 deaths.
The original epicenter for COVID-19 (where the virus first emerged in December 2019) was China, where new cases slowed down a few weeks ago and life is beginning to return to a new version of normal. Today their tally is 83,157 with 3,342 deaths (only 2 in the last day).