VANCOUVER -- The parties in B.C.'s Okanagan that have been blamed for much of the province's recent surge in COVID-19 cases have also left nearly 1,000 people stuck in self-isolation, health officials revealed Wednesday.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said 70 people have now caught the virus as a result of the parties held in Kelowna around Canada Day, and roughly 14 times as many contacts are self-isolating.
"There are now close to 1,000 British Columbians in every health authority who are self-isolating at home because they have been exposed to somebody who has been positive for this virus," Henry said.
"This means these people are unable to work, to see friends, to leave home, to enjoy the summer like the rest of us."
Those parties, which largely involved young people who failed to follow proper COVID-19 precautions, have contributed to a steady increase in the number of active infections in the province.
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That total has increased from 152 at the end of June to 285 on Wednesday.
Henry said one major issue public health teams are grappling with is high numbers of personal contacts that have to be traced and notified when infections do occur.
In the early weeks of the pandemic, up until March 15, public health investigators had to reach out to an average of 10.7 contacts for every person who caught the virus. That number plummeted to 3.6 by early June, but in has roared back up in some recent cases.
"Contact-tracing three or four people is much easier and faster than trying to reach 20 or 30 people for every case that has come up – and that is the situation that we have found ourselves in the last few weeks," Henry said. "With each additional person, the time it takes us to find them, the potential for them to develop symptoms and pass it on to others is greater."
Officials are stressing the need for people to be responsible while socializing – to keep detailed lists of contacts when hanging out in small groups, and to avoid mingling with strangers whenever possible.
If things don't turn around, Henry has warned B.C. could see an "explosive growth" in new cases that could threaten the freedoms that residents sacrificed to earn back earlier this year after the initial COVID-19 lockdown.
B.C. has already tightened restrictions around bars and nightclubs, requiring patrons to stay seated and banning people from dancing or buying drinks directly from the bar.
"We can all have fun and a safe summer despite COVID-19," Henry said. "But in order to keep going forward we need to go back to safe social interactions. We need to play safe and stay safe."
