PROVINCE’S PARTY LINE

Crackdown on big bashes

B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix warned Thursday there will be no tolerance of mass gatherings as COVID -19 cases continue to surge in British Columbia.

In particular, he pointed to private parties in public places, saying if such gatherings take place this weekend, in a banquet hall, for example, attendees should expect a visit from public health or environmental officials.

The parties may not be immediately shut down, but there will be consequences, said Dix.

“It’s our expectation that the limits on the number of people at parties will be in place this weekend, everywhere in B.C.,” said Dix.

He also urged people not to organize parties on private properties with alcohol and no limits on the number of people. If you’re invited to a party like this, don’t go, he said.

The B.C. government banned all gatherings of more than 50 people in March as part of a package of restrictive measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The restrictive measures included closing pubs, restaurants and nightclubs. They were later lifted, after helping to reduce the spread of the virus, a so-called flattening of the curve.

But the rate of spread is on the rise again, with 78 new confirmed cases announced on Thursday, bringing the total in B.C. to 4,274.

That follows 85 new cases reported on Wednesday, 46 on Tuesday and 44 on Monday.

In May and June, daily case numbers rarely climbed above 20 and were often below 10.

Although a July outbreak in Kelowna caused an increase in COVID-19 cases in the Interior Health region, three-quarters of cases have been in Metro Vancouver.

Health officials’ concern over large social gatherings is a result of a shift in the age of people being infected to a younger group.

The 20-29 age group in particular, and also the 30-39 age group, account for a greater proportion of cases than does the general population, according to statistics released by the province on Thursday.

The two age groups — which make up 27 per cent of the population — accounted for more than half of COVID -19 cases confirmed between June 24 and Aug. 8.

The surge in cases hasn’t resulted in a corresponding increase in hospitalizations and deaths because young people are less likely to get seriously ill, said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.

No person under 40 in B.C. has died from the coronavirus.

However, there’s a concern the increase in cases among younger people will eventually spill over into the more at-risk population, including older people.

Younger people, meanwhile, are not immune to becoming severely ill and can sometimes suffer symptoms, such as severe fatigue, that last weeks or longer, said Henry.

The provincial government isn’t currently considering stiffer restrictions to deal with the surge in cases, such as shutting down pubs or nightclubs. Dix and Henry said they have had co-operation from the hospitality sector and COVID-19 exposures are falling at such venues.

Henry said the province’s ability to quickly trace almost all those who came into contact with an infected person has also helped to dampen the effect of the surge in cases as restrictions were lifted.

There were more than 1,800 people in quarantine in the province as of Thursday.

Contact tracing will continue to be vitally important in slowing the spread of the virus, said Henry, in combination with self-isolation by those who are sick.

The surge in cases reinforces the need for physical distancing, keeping social groups small, and wearing masks, Henry said.

The province also released information from a survey funded by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control that showed differences among racial groups when it comes to effects of the pandemic.

For example, West Asian, Latin American and South Asian survey respondents reported greater difficulty meeting financial needs.

Caucasian respondents had less difficulty making ends meet and fewer were not working due to the virus, but were more likely to report increased alcohol consumption.

The survey showed that people with lower incomes suffered more negative economic and health consequences.