Variants of concern still less than 10% of B.C. cases, but that number is rising: top doctor

VANCOUVER -- The province's top doctor says health officials have noted a rise in the number of cases that turn out to be what they're calling variants of concern.

Speaking at a news conference Thursday, Dr. Bonnie Henry told reporters these cases make up less than 10 per cent of confirmed infections, but that they're becoming more common.

The most common of the variants known to be in the province is B.1.1.7, which has been associated with the U.K.

Henry said it's been noted in the Lower Mainland, and in the Fraser Health region in particular. There are also known cases of B.1351, the variant tied to South Africa, and of P.1, associated with Brazil. With P.1 however, Henry said, the cases have been tied to one cluster in the Vancouver area, and there has not been any known transmission beyond the group.

"These are things we're watching very carefully," the provincial health officer said.

"We need to understand what the impact of is of these variants… Right now we are still in a very small percentage of our cases that are variants of concern, and what we are seeing is that with the same measures that we have in place to prevent transmission…those measures are working. We're not seeing rapid takeoff of variant cases like we have seen reported (Thursday) from Ontario, for example."

Henry said about 40 per cent of cases reported in Ontario were variants of concern, compared to a much smaller percentage locally.

"But we are seeing that these are increasing, which tells us that every transmission in the community where these are moving onto others puts a little bit more risk into the scenarios that we have," Henry said.

Despite the risk, Henry opted to loosen restrictions Thursday. Prior to her latest update, gatherings were banned in the province except between members of the same household.

But, ahead of March break and St. Patrick's Day, the health ministry decided to allow for gatherings of as many as 10 people, as long as those gatherings take place outdoors.

In the latest update, Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said a total of 638 cases in B.C. are known to involve variants of concern.

They said 588 of those are B.1.1.7, while 36 are B.1.351, and 14 are P.1. At least one case of a variant with ties to Nigeria has been confirmed in B.C., but so far, that variant has been described as one of interest, not of concern.