In the past week, the COVID-19 cases in British Columbia have escalated drastically. Yet, according to an Angus Reid survey, ⅕ of British Columbians are still not putting in the effort to take health regulations seriously.
Last Friday, it was reported that there were 124 new cases — setting a new record in BC within one day. As of today, there have been 124 new cases, 974 active cases, 23 are currently hospitalized, and 7 currently admitted in ICU. In total, there have been 5,496 reported cases and 204 COVID-19 confirmed deaths in BC.
Health officials in British Columbia have been tracking cases much more closely and have mapped out the areas where COVID-19 transmission has been concentrated within the province. Dr. Bonnie Henry, the Provincial Health Officer in BC, broke down the main factors for the quick COVID-19 transmissions: ⅓ of cases were transmitted at parties, clubs, and nightclubs, ⅓ were spread within families, and ⅓ were from workplace clusters or outbreaks in long-term care.
In the month of August, the largest group responsible for the new COVID-19 cases were young adults from 20 to 40 years of age. On August 15th, 55 individuals were hospitalized within that age group (making up 10% of all of British Columbia’s cases). There have been various potential exposure events: Levels nightclub, Ivy Lounge at Trump Tower Vancouver, Pierre’s Champagne Lounge, Pumpjack, and Score on Davie, and Liquid Zoo in Kelowna. Below are the current reported public exposures according to Vancouver Coastal Health:
Wreck beach - Southwest Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC
Banter Room - 1039 Mainland St., Vancouver, BC
Privé Kitchen and Bar - 1001 West Broadway Vancouver, BC
Hawksworth Restaurant - 801 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC
Bartholomew Bar - 1026 Mainland St., Vancouver, BC
IVY Lounge - 3rd Floor of 1161 W. Georgia St., Vancouver, BC
Levels Nightclub - 560 Seymour St., Vancouver, BC
Foot Locker - 919 Robson St., Vancouver, BC
Pierre’s Champagne Lounge - 1028 Hamilton St., Vancouver, BC
West Oak Restaurant - 1035 Mainland St., Vancouver BC
PumpJack Pub - 1167 Davie St., Vancouver, BC
Lions Bay Beach Park - 60 Lions Bay Ave., Lions Bay, BC
Video is courtesy of Global News.
As of last week, British Columbia has been working on implementing stricter guidelines and has imposed new fines to discourage unsafe social gathering practices Last Friday, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth made the announcement that organizers, venues, and promoters can be fined up to $2000 for having more than 50 guests, not keeping a list/contact info of attendees, and/or hosting more than 5 people at vacation rentals.
The COVID-19 pandemic is not yet over. Social-distancing, social gathering limitations, wearing masks, and other preventative measures are not optional. British Columbians altogether need to understand the implications of their actions and take responsibility.
References
B.C. law enforcement officers authorized to issue $2,000 fines to hosts of large events. (2020,
August 21). Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-public-
British Columbia COVID-19 Dashboard. (2020, August 28). Retrieved from
COVID-19 Compliance: One-in-five Canadians making little to no effort to stop coronavirus
spread. (2020, August 17). Retrieved from http://angusreid.org/covid-compliance/
Doering, K., & Tindale, K. (2020, August 17). Some Canadians ignore COVID-19 rules as Metro
Vancouver sees weekend of parties. Retrieved from https://www.citynews1130.com/2020/
Takeuchi, C. (2020, August 15). Addressing B.C.'s COVID-19 weak spot: Ryan Reynolds and
celebrities called in to address partying and young adults. Retrieved from
Zeidler, M. (2020, August 29). This week in B.C. COVID-19 news: New protocols for schools,
sports and entertainment. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-
Featured image is courtesy of Karolina Grabowska.
Article Author: Katrina Artes
Article Editor: Valerie Shirobokov