No further health restrictions expected over holidays: PHO

British Columbia’s top doctor does not anticipate bringing in any more public heath restrictions ahead of the holidays at this time.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the mandates already in place – masking, vaccine passports and high levels of immunization – help to stem spread and keep people safe.

“What we have in place … is making a difference and mitigating the risk,” she said.

She reminded people to not attend any family or public gathers if you do not feel well, and to keep any holiday get-togethers small.

Last year, asked what she wanted for Christmas, Henry said she “wanted this [the pandemic] to be over” and for everyone to stay home so “we can get through to next year.”

Posed with the same question in a Tuesday afternoon media briefing, Henry spoke at length about the importance of taking time to be kind to one another, more so after everything the province has faced as a collective over the past 12 months, from fires to floods.

“I am just again amazed and grateful for the altruism that we’ve seen people show each other through these hard times,” she said. “What I really want for Christmas is for us to continue that, to change this, to combat this unrelenting uncertainty with relentless kindness."

More Omicron but Delta still top concern

Her comments comes as four more cases of the Omicron variant were found in B.C. over the weekend, bringing the total to five. Three people are fully vaccinated with three different vaccine regimes, and two are not.

The patients range in age from 18 to 60 and are all connected to international travel. Henry said the cases are mild or asymptomatic and expects more to be identified in the coming days.

But while Omicron is grabbing headlines, Health Minister Adrian Dix maintained the Delta variant remains the main concern of health officials and its strain on the healthcare system.

“We need to stay focused on the here and now. And what’s here in B.C. right now is the Delta variant,” he said. “It’s the Delta variant that’s seizing among the unvaccinated to spread. It’s the Delta variant that is causing patients with COVID-19 to be transported hundreds of miles away from their families for care.”

He stressed the importance of everyone getting the jab, included the newly eligible 5- to 11-year-olds.

Booster campaign to ramp up

On Friday, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) updated its recommendations on booster shots to include all Canadians aged 50 and over. Henry is pleased the new recommendations align with the actions already underway in B.C.

Henry said B.C. opened third doses to the clinically immuno-suppressed, who were considered the most at risk of severe illness if they contracted COVID-19. With NACI now suggesting those individuals get another booster, B.C. will follow that recommendation.

B.C. was taking a ‘risk-based approach’ in its booster program, offering the extra shots to the most vulnerable populations first. Henry said, as of the end of this week, over 90 per cent of British Columbians over the age of 70 or considered immuno-suppressed will have received an invitation to get a booster.

As this milestone is reached, the province will expand its booster program next week to include people over 65 and the clinically extremely vulnerable, meaning those who are not classified as ‘immuno-suppressed,’ but still have a higher risk of severe illness when compared to someone with a healthy immune system.

Following this group, the province will move to offering booster shots to people based on age.

B.C.’s top doctor noted how research from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) shows boosters are most effective when administered six to eight months apart, and the province will follow that guidance in inviting people to get their jabs.

The province will roll out the next round of boosters by partnering with pharmacies across the province and getting them connected to the Get Registered program, easing access.

The province’s child immunization program started last week, and Henry encouraged parents and guardians to register their kids for a shot.

She recommends anyone with concerns visit the BCCDC’s website, the Kids Boost Immunity website, or speak with their family doctor, pediatrician, nurse practitioner or pharmacist.

Henry said the province is expecting a shipment of AstraZeneca vaccines in the coming week for people waiting for a second dose of that. The province will contact people to arrange for them to get their second jabs.

The province also has several Jansen (formerly Johnson & Johnson) vaccines available, and British Columbians who wish to get access to a dose of that vaccine can call 1-833-838-2323 to set up an appointment.

With files from VernonMatters