Provincial health officials says uncertainty about new variants BA.2
Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 02 Mar, 2022 11:05 AM
British Columbia's provincial health officer says there are still some uncertainties about new variants, including B-A-point-2, with some cases present in B-C.
Doctor Bonnie Henry says the province is prepared for a potential uptick in COVID-19 cases during the next respiratory season.
She says the province will integrate wastewater surveillance testing into its regular surveillance of respiratory illness including influenza, and also include other pathogens to get a periodic snapshot of what else may be circulating in communities.
Henry says a decline in hospitalizations, immunity from vaccination and the availability of at-home rapid tests point the way forward to normal activities like high school graduations, which young people need to feel connected to others.
As the rise of the Omicron variant upends Canada's COVID-19 response, experts say medical mask mandates should not only be abolished, but wearing respirators should become the norm.
NSD Canada is bringing back a requirement for everyone entering the country to have a pre-arrival negative molecular test result for COVID-19, even if travellers are returning after being away for under 72 hours.
Aseem Sharma, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Alberta in the renewable resources department, says extreme weather events are expected to be more "common, stronger and broader" in the future and he's calling for more research to determine its cause.
The new public health measures range from limits on venues that hold more than 1,000 people to 50 per cent capacity to no youth or adult sports tournaments over the Christmas holiday period and cancellation of all New Year's Eve parties, Henry said. Indoor family gatherings, including those at rental or holiday properties, are limited to one household, plus 10 guests, and everyone must be vaccinated.
There are 4,313 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 218,960 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 191 individuals are in hospital and 74 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
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