Just single patient remains with virus at KGH
The effect of loosened COVID-19 restrictions that come into effect next week won’t be known until early June.
Since the disease has a 14-day incubation period, health officials won’t be able to immediately judge the impact of the phased re-opening of the economy and the lifting of some rules around physical distancing.
“We will be watching very carefully,” provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Thursday. “We will be progressing slowly. As we know, the incubation period for this virus is 14 days so it will take us the next 14 to 28 days to understand the impact of the measures that we’re taking in the coming week.
“We will not be moving into the next phase until we are confident that the measures we’ve taken so far have not resulted in a dramatic increase of transmission in the community,” she added.
After the Victoria Day long weekend, people will be allowed to gather in groups of up to six, and restaurants, pubs, cafes, museums, libraries, retail stores, office-based worksites, and hair salons will be allowed to re-open under conditions set by health officials and WorkSafeBC.
Between Wednesday and Thursday, 15 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in B.C., bringing the total number of people who’ve tested positive to 2,392. Of the total, 135 people have died, 1,885 have fully recovered, and there remain 372 active cases.
Eby said ICBC will be in a better position next year to decide whether drivers could receive a one-time rebate or if the money should be contributed to the corporation’s depleted surplus.
ICBC president Nicolas Jimenez said the corporation remains on track in implementing changes announced earlier this year that could save drivers about $400 a year.
The government has been trying to contain financial losses at the Crown-owned insurer that have exceeded a billion a year since 2018.
Changes were introduced earlier this year reforming the corporation away from a litigation-based system to a care-based model that would severely limit a person’s ability to sue drivers in a crash.
The government also promised a one-time 20 per cent rate cut by May next year.