Province extends ban on indoor dining, but critics say it's not enough
The extension of COVID-19 restrictions on indoor dining and group fitness classes into May is not enough to prevent the spread of variants of concern, critics say, as calls grow for tougher measures including a crackdown on interprovincial travel.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday expressed support for provinces and territories closing their borders to limit the spread of the virus.
“I've been supporting premiers and territorial leaders on what they need to do to keep people safe,” the prime minister said in an interview with CBC. “As we saw with the Atlantic bubble, as we saw with the Arctic territories, they make decisions around closing off the regions.”
Premier John Horgan told reporters Tuesday that travel restrictions remain on the table “but practicality is first and foremost.” He has previously said a travel ban would be difficult to enforce, given the size of B.C. and its border with Alberta. However, in a call with Alberta Premier Jason Kenny on Tuesday, Horgan said the two discussed essential and non-essential travel between the two provinces and “the consequences that's having on case counts.”
Earlier this month, Alberta's chief medical health officer, Deena Hinshaw, confirmed that a single person who travelled outside of Alberta triggered a “significant outbreak” of the P.1 variant at the three work sites linked to a large employer with multiple sites across Western Canada. Hinshaw also said some of Alberta's P.1 cases have been linked to the P.1 outbreak that shut down Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort.
B.C. has 1,529 confirmed cases of the P.1 variant, 82 per cent of the 1,850 P.1 variants in Canada and the largest number outside of Brazil.
B.C. Green Leader Sonia Furstenau said regions and countries that have kept the virus at bay, such as the Atlantic provinces and New Zealand, have used “aggressive” measures to control travel into their borders. She said she's concerned B.C. continues to take a “passive and reactive” approach to managing the spread of the virus.
On Wednesday, Health Minister Adrian Dix disputed suggestions that — with a seven-day rolling average more than 1,000 COVID cases a day — the current measures restricting some indoor activities aren't enough to stop transmission.
After a meeting with the provincial health officer on Tuesday, the B.C. Restaurant & Food Services Association told its members that the indoor dining ban would be extended into May, beyond the original April 19 expiry date.
While the province has not released industry-specific data to show COVID cases relating to indoor dining, Dix said “we're seeing some effects” from the March 29 public health orders.
“But we need to keep doubling down on ensuring physical distancing because this is a virus that transmits through social interaction,” he said.
Dix said with significant COVID case numbers and an increase in hospitalizations “we're still way above where we need to be.” He said public health restrictions are reviewed every day as the province doesn't want “measures in place longer than they need to be.” However, he did not give an indication any new public health restrictions will be announced Thursday.