Fewer faces in bigger spaces key to Phase 2 reopening, health officer says
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry urged British Columbians to “stay close to home” during the May long weekend, and to proceed cautiously into Phase 2 of the province’s restart plan this week.
Dr. Henry said new guidelines for businesses that are allowed to reopen on Tuesday are now available on the province’s WorkSafeBC website.
Starting Tuesday, restaurants, cafes and pubs, retail and personal service establishments, libraries, museums and galleries, office spaces and child care facilities may reopen, as well as parks, beaches and recreational facilities.
B.C. is also set to allow the restoration of health services, including the rescheduling of elective surgeries, as well as dentistry, registered massage and physiotherapy, chiropractors, in-person counselling and speech therapy.
Employers are expected to have a COVID-19 safety plan that is available for health inspectors, employees and customers. As well, businesses must screen customers for illness as best as they can, and ensure that (employees) have the ability to remain at home if they’re ill.
B.C.’s environmental health officers have been tasked with helping businesses reopen and keeping workplaces safe. But a wider public co-operation, along with a mass buy-in of the WorkSafeBC guidelines, is required for the restart to be effective.
While Phase 2 includes the lifting or modifying of some COVID-19 safety orders, Dr. Henry reminded the public on Saturday that “we are nowhere close” to returning to normal.
Dr. Henry said the same rules for social interactions apply to businesses: “fewer faces, less time together, bigger spaces.” Vigilant physical distancing — keeping more than six feet away from people not in your household or limited social circle — must continue.
“There can be no flexibility on this piece,” Dr. Henry said.
On Saturday, B.C. recorded 21 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 to boost the provincial total to 2,428 cases.
There has been one more death from COVID-19 complications, increasing the grim total of B.C. deaths to 141.
Dr. Henry says there are no new community outbreaks, but there are ongoing outbreaks in 15 long-term care facilities and five acute care units, including the newest outbreak, announced Friday, at the ICU at Abbotsford Regional Hospital.
At this time, the outbreak includes six staff members and two patients, Dr. Henry said.
Dr. Henry also provided an update on the outbreak at the Oppenheimer Group, a fruit and vegetable processing facility in Coquitlam.
On Friday, the Oppenheimer Group confirmed three cases of COVID-19 at the facility, among a group that often carpools to work together. The plant remains open, however, as health officials are satisfied with the safety measures that have been put in place.
“This most recent outbreak was caught very early, because people are paying attention to the guidance,” said Dr. Henry.
Saturday brought more bad news for Fraser Health, however, as 20 of the 21 new cases occurred in the region. The largest health region in B.C. has the most COVID-19 cases in the province, with 1,184.
Northern Health reported the other positive test to raise that region’s total to 59.
COVID-19 totals for Vancouver Coastal Health (878), Island Health (126) and Interior Health (181) remain unchanged.