Two years ago, B.C. announced its first COVID-19 case

Friday marks a sombre anniversary for B.C., as on this day two years ago, the first case of COVID-19 in B.C. was publicly announced.

“Late yesterday, our BC Centre for Disease Control public health lab confirmed a positive test for 2019-nCoV,” the Jan. 28, 2020 statement read.

Public health officials said the man, in his forties, had recently travelled from Wuhan city in China, and had developed flu-like symptoms upon his return to Vancouver.

He was the third case reported in Canada.

“It is not necessary for the general public to take special precautions beyond the usual measures recommended to prevent other common respiratory viruses during the winter period,” the Ministry of Health wrote in the statement two years ago.

“Regular handwashing, coughing or sneezing into your elbow sleeve, disposing of tissues appropriately and avoiding contact with sick people are important ways to prevent the spread of respiratory illness generally.”

It urged health care providers to ask about people’s travel history.

Less than three weeks later, the province announced the man had recovered at home and no longer tested positive for the virus.

Public health officials at that time were also contacting those who had recently returned from cruise ships, where the virus was spreading on board to hundreds of passengers, and were told to self-isolate for 14 days upon their return.

In the weeks that followed, B.C.’s single case multiplied slowly but steadily. By Mar. 4, there were 21 cases of the virus confirmed in the province.

Just days later, on March 9, 2020, the first COVID-related death in Canada was recorded in B.C.

“We are deeply saddened to hear that one of the residents of the Lynn Valley care home who was infected with COVID-19 passed away last night. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and loved ones, and of course, to the staff who provided him care,” B.C. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said.

The province also found a man who had recently travelled to Italy had tested positive for the virus. He was the first imported case in B.C. from that country, which had swiftly become a global hot spot for the virus.

Three days later, on Mar. 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the newly named COVID-19 virus a pandemic.

“We cannot say this loudly enough, or clearly enough, or often enough: all countries can still change the course of this pandemic,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, said.

B.C.’s current COVID crisis

In two years, more than 318,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in B.C.. However testing results are not considered to be fully accurate as those with mild symptoms are no longer told to get tested due to an overwhelming demand for testing and limited PCR tests available.

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That change in public messaging came after the discovery of another variant of concern in B.C

Omicron now makes up the vast majority of the new cases reported in the province. The highly transmissive variant was only discovered in B.C. in late November, and replaced Delta as the dominant variant a few weeks later.

As of Thursday, 2,588 people have died from COVID-19 in B.C.

With files from Hana Mae Nassar, Nikitha Martins, and Denise Wong