Health officials in British Columbia responded to concern about people in the province going outside over the past weekend and not maintaining the two metre physical distancing measure.
Dr. Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer, said she saw most people following the rules.
“I did see lots of people but you know what, the vast majority of them were in small groups, they were sitting apart from each other, they were socializing, they were out in the sun,” Dr. Henry said. “People were reasonable…and I think we can sometimes get caught up in the small minority of people who are maybe having too much fun.”
“I think the vast majority of people are doing the right things and taking this to heart, and I think them because that’s how we’re going to get through this.”
Health minister Adrian Dix echoed Dr. Henry’s comments and said most people he saw were outside, following the rules and staying apart.
Over the past two days there have been 23 new COVID-19 cases in B.C., and the provincial health officer said businesses and individuals should think about how they are going to adapt to the “new normal.”
“Next week, if things continue to go the way that they have been going, and I fully expect they will, we’ll be at the beginning of our phase two of our pandemic,” Dr. Henry said. “But being patient and calm must be top of mind right now.”
She added that she does have concerns about the reopening the U.S. border, stressing that it is “not in our best interest” at this point and there need to be measures in place to protect local communities. Minister Dix said the B.C. premier John Horgan has made these concerns learn to the prime minister.
