British Columbians need to find ways to stop COVID spread, not ways to get around the rules: Henry

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – As COVID-19 case numbers continue to rise across B.C., the province’s top doctor is urging British Columbians to think about ways they can stop the spread of the virus — not new ways to creatively break the rules designed to get the pandemic under control.

Given how long we’ve been at this, it appears the fatigue is certainly setting in for some when it comes to following orders and laws established to keep us safe.

“I understand that this pandemic is tiring and the orders make it more difficult. We don’t want to have these things in place. Focus on the intent of what we’re trying to do right now,” Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said on Monday.

Her plea came as the province reported a combined total of 1,933 new cases of COVID-19 over a three-day span on Monday. In addition to the hundreds of new infections, B.C. also recorded 17 deaths related to the virus. The majority of them were from the Fraser Health region and the rest were from Vancouver Coastal.

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A record 277 people are currently hospitalized because of the coronavirus, with 59 in critical care.

Henry stressed the fact that we have to put our energy to coming up with ways to tackle transmission.

“Instead of thinking, ‘How can I find my way around this?’ think about your way to stop the spread. ‘What can I do today to make a difference?'” Henry said at her briefing.

Vaccine is coming, but it’s not here yet

There appears to be some good news on the horizon: three companies have said their vaccines are highly effective in preventing COVID-19, with two already having submitted applications for emergency use approval in the U.S. and elsewhere.

However, Henry noted that we still have a ways to go before one will be widely available here.

“And this bike ride has some huge hills to climb, and we don’t know exactly when this part of the race is going to end and when we’re going to move into the next phase,” Henry added. “We all know that while you may have to slow down when you’re going uphill, we can get over the top, but right now, we have a distance to go.

“When vaccines are approved and available, we’ll be able to transition to our next phase. To that run that will have a finish line,” she said.

-With files from Marcella Bernardo