Next incubation period 'critical' to B.C. relaxing more restrictions on July 1, officials say
The B.C. government is relaxing more COVID-19 restrictions this week, and the next few days could determine whether additional measures are lifted in July.
Officials have confirmed the province is entering Step 2 of its restart plan on Tuesday, allowing for unrestricted travel across B.C., outdoor gatherings of up to 50 people, and more.
Premier John Horgan called the announcement "very positive news for all British Columbians," but noted the impact those loosened rules have on COVID-19 case numbers will dictate whether the province proceeds into Step 3 less than three weeks later, as tentatively scheduled.
"It's appropriate for all of us to take pride in what we've accomplished collectively. Businesses, communities, individuals, families have made extraordinary sacrifices," Horgan said.
"Come July 1, I'm hopeful we'll be able to further relieve these restrictions, but we need that incubation period – we need that critical couple of weeks to assess the impact of the steps we're taking today."
The symptoms of COVID-19, which can include coughing, fever and shortness of breath, take up to 14 days to appear.
The public can help keep case numbers trending downward by following the restrictions and guidelines left in place, officials said. Masks remain mandatory in indoor public spaces, and British Columbians are still only allowed to host a maximum of five visitors (or one household) inside for things like dinner parties.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said physical distancing and staying home while sick are also important tools for keeping transmission low. And she encouraged people to be mindful that not everyone will feel comfortable taking advantage of the relaxed restrictions right away.
"We still do have transmission in our communities," Henry said. "As we continue to open up, we need to be respectful of people in communities with different comfort levels and different risk levels."
The government's restart plan indicates cases must be "low" and hospitalizations "declining" before the province can enter Step 3. The criteria for having 70 per cent of B.C. adults at least partially vaccinated has already been met.
There have been concerns raised that the Delta COVID-19 variant, also known as B.1.617.2, could throw a wrench into the province's progress. The government has once again started conducting whole genome sequencing on every coronavirus case in B.C. to more precisely monitor the spread of variants.
Earlier on Monday, officials in the U.K. blamed the Delta variant for their decision to extend lockdown measures for another month, though Henry noted the circumstances are different in B.C., where more young people have been partially immunized against the disease.
"A lot of transmission that they're seeing right now in the U.K. is in people in their teens and 20s and 30s," she added. "We have very high immunization rates in those age groups already."
More than 75 per cent of B.C. adults have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine so far, something that officials have credited for helping decreased the province's rolling weekly average for new cases from an all-time high of 1,130 per day back in April to just 161 as of Friday.
Henry said she's confident the province will continue to make progress battling the disease.
"I am optimistic about our brighter days ahead," Henry said. "This will be our summer of hope and healing from this pandemic. And we can make the difference in getting there together."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
BREAKING Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, claims he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women in Winnipeg, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Human remains were found at a former Hitler base, but decay prevents determining the cause of death
Polish prosecutors have discontinued an investigation into human skeletons found at a site where German dictator Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders spent time during the Second World War because the advanced state of decay made it impossible to determine the cause of death, a spokesman said Monday.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Trump fined US$1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as judge warns of possible jail time
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial fined him US$1,000 on Monday for violating his gag order once again and sternly warned the former president that additional violations could result in jail time.