Officials announce three new deaths, urge safety to travellers
Health authorities urged British Columbians to practise their “travel manners” as residents begin to move freely about the province during Phase 3 of B.C.’s restart plan.
“Any traveller from outside B.C. needs to understand that we have established clear rules for safe social interactions,” said provincial heath officer Dr. Bonnie Henry at Thursday’s daily COVID-19 update. “We’re calling those our travel manners, and we will include you in that if you come to British Columbia.”
Thursday’s reminder comes in the same week that health authorities warned passengers on several recent flights into YVR about possible exposure to COVID-19.
On Tuesday, Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix raised concerns about the relaxation of physical-distancing measures on planes.
WestJet and Air Canada ended their policy of leaving middle seats empty on planes to promote physical distancing.
Asked again Thursday, Dix reminded that the decision was Transport Canada’s, not his, to make. But the minister also reminded that, in lieu of physical distancing, people can take additional measures to protect themselves from exposure.
“These are decisions in federal jurisdiction,” he said.
“But there are things that we can do to be safer.”
Physical distancing is very important,” he said.
“We need to maintain it wherever we can, and when we can’t — if that’s on an airplane or anywhere else — we have to be more conscious of all of the other things we need to do, such as washing our hands, such as not touching our face, such as wearing masks and so on.”
Henry again stressed the importance of not allowing people with COVID-19 symptoms to board planes.
“That’s something that’s a shared responsibility between the airlines and people who are travelling,” she said. “You should not — you cannot — travel if you’re sick, or if you’ve been in contact with somebody with COVID-19.”
Henry and Dix announced 24 new coronavirus cases in B.C. over the last two days, along with three new deaths.
There was no daily update Wednesday due to the Canada Day holiday.
The updated numbers bring total confirmed cases in B.C. to 2,940 and the deaths to 177. Two-thousand-six-hundred-and-three people have fully recovered.
There are 160 active cases currently — 17 in hospital and two people still in intensive care.
There have been no new community outbreaks or outbreaks at health-care facilities.