B.C. could ease some COVID-19 restrictions next month if active cases and hospitalizations continue to fall, based on new projections.
B.C. could ease some COVID-19 restrictions next month if active cases and hospitalizations continue to fall, based on new projections.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry made the announcement Friday morning, after the release of statistics showing B.C. has so far succeeded in reducing the number of cases and avoided overwhelming the health-care system.
“We have flattened that curve,” Henry said.
Activities that could return in a few weeks include elective surgeries. Other changes would help reactivate sectors of the economy that aren’t contingent on large gatherings of people.
Some activities in schools could resume, but no decision has been made on whether that will happen before the end of the academic year.
“I believe this summer, we will have the opportunity to have way more social opportunities … but we’re not quite there yet. So I’m asking for patience,” Henry said.
However, Henry cautioned that significant restrictions would still be in place for some time — likely until a vaccine has been developed for the virus — and that B.C.’s continued success in avoiding a large outbreak would continue to rely on public health