Just because you are be self-isolating, doesn’t mean you have to be confined indoors. That’s the message from B.C.’s top doctor to people across the province.
Dr. Bonnie Henry says the biggest thing is limiting contact with other people, especially if you have COVID-19 symptoms.
“We don’t have a vaccine for this virus so the best that we can do is keeping away from others during that incubation period, and that’s why that 14 day period is so important,”she said.
“We want people to stay away from others so that as soon as they develop symptoms, they are not passing it along to anybody else, and we can break those chains of transmission.”
She says British Columbians in self-isolation are able to go outside into their yards or balconies, as long as they are alone.
“And there’s many ways that we now have that allow us to get medications online, to get people to drop off food and communities have been coming together to support people in that, and that’s what need to do now, all of us, because it protects all of us,” Henry noted.
For people living in apartment buildings with shared laundry facilities, you’re able to do your laundry, as long as no one else is using the space at the same time, and if you’re not symptomatic.
“You can go out in areas where there are not other people around,” Henry said. “Avoid mass gatherings, avoid going out to communal areas with people. There’s guidance that we have about how to do this effectively on the BC CDC website.”
While British Columbians are being asked to avoid non-essential international travel, and self-isolate upon return to Canada, Henry says long-haul truckers and airline crews are exempt from that requirement.
“They need to have an active monitoring program.” Henry said, noting these people will still to take precautions and avoid the public. “They need to have access to clean their hands regularly, enhanced infection control on trucks, on ferries, on airplanes. Those are all measures that are being put in place.”
On Friday, Premier John Horgan said while the government is asking for people to self-isolate, they aren’t enforcing it, and instead are relying on the honour system and social conscience.
“Our objective is to direct people that this is the best course of action for themselves and for the community and we hope people will comply,” Horgan said. “Let’s do the right thing, not just for ourselves, but for our community, our province and our country.”
The BC Federation of Labour has raised concerns that not everyone may have sick leave or sick pay, which could force people to choose between their health and their wages.
The Federal Government has relaxed restrictions on employment insurance payments by waiving the waiting period for benefits for people who self-isolate due to illness.
“We want to ensure the federal government expands these programs to the greatest extent as possible,” added Horgan, who says current rules should be further relaxed to help contract workers and people without sick days.
The province announced nine new cases on Saturday, and 11 on Friday, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases across B.C. to 73 – the vast majority of which are in the Vancouver Coastal Health area. All five Health Authorities have cases recovering at home.
As of Friday, the province had tested 6,326 people for COVID-19, a jump of more than 4,000 tests in a week which Health Minister Adrian Dix called ‘an extraordinary achievement.’
People are being urged to not to go to the doctor’s office or the emergency room if you are symptomatic, and to either call your doctor or 811.
There is also more information on the Interior Health Authority website.
