73 variant cases in B.C. means ‘less room for error’ with COVID-19 safety measures

VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) — The discovery of more variant cases of COVID-19 has BC’s health officials again pleading with everyone to strictly adhere to existing public safety orders.

Dr. Reka Gustafson and Health Minister Adrian Dix said Friday there are more than 70 confirmed cases of COVID-19 “variants of concern” in the province. Fifty-two of the cases are linked to the mutation first identified in the UK, with the other 20 listed as the South African strain. There is also one case of the strain first identified in Nigeria, bringing the total of variants to 73.

UPDATE: Ministry of Health has confirmed #BC still has one case of #COVID19 variant strain first identified in #Nigeria.

That means cases reflecting virus mutations now total 73.

52 UK
20 South Africa
1 Nigeria

Expecting an update on this Monday at 3pm. #bcpoli @NEWS1130 https://t.co/twzKG5Mwyp

— Marcella Bernardo (@MBernardoNews) February 20, 2021

“We actually have very small numbers of these new variants at this time. And that is because as with other pieces of COVID-19 because of the travel restrictions we have in place. We actually have a very small proportion of overall cases related to travel. So I would say that at this point the restrictions that we have in place, are highly effective but they are not 100 per cent,” Gustafson said.

Re: how are variants getting in if travel restrictions are now in place?

Gustafson admits restrictions in place are not 100% safe, so extra efforts are needed prevent community transmissions.

Dix blames social gatherings and workplace exposures for spread. #bcpoli @NEWS1130

— Marcella Bernardo (@Bernardo1130) February 19, 2021

This update came on the heels of a warning from Canada’s top doctor that these more transmissible variants could cause a third wave. Even with current restrictions, the spread of variants could push the national caseload to more than 10,000 new diagnoses per day by April, according to the projections Tam presented Friday.

But Gustafson noted that modeling showing the potential for cases to spike does not mean a surge is inevitable.

“Mathematical models are exactly that they’re mathematical models and they take the parameters that we are seeing with these new variants, and then give us potential scenarios. They don’t predict what’s going to happen. And I think that’s really important to remember,” she said.

Even though these virus variants transmit more “efficiently,” she noted, they all spread in the same way which makes adhering to current guidelines crucial.

“A possibility of resurgence of cases absolutely exists, which is why we’re doing what we’re doing, which is maintaining public health measures, and monitoring the spread of COVID-19 our population very very carefully,” she said.

“The things that we need to do to prevent the transmission of variance is the exact same thing we do to prevent COVID-19, but we have less room for error. All contacts who are asked to self-isolate actually need to self-isolate. That is a really, really serious and important recommendation because the probability that you will actually develop COVID-19 is higher with any variants than it was previously.”

Gustafson also said with fewer than 200,000 people now vaccinated, the risk of community transmission remains high.

Dix stressed that gatherings remain the most troubling site of transmission, citing a recent “superspreader” event at a pub trivia night as an example.

“We continue to see transmissions in the community, and that means when people are engaging and interacting with one another large numbers,” he said.

“The consequences of that are significant.”

Editor’s Note: NEWS 1130 has updated this article after confirming there are 73 confirmed cases of variants, not 72 as originally reported by the province.