Restrictions on visitors to long-term care and acute-care hospitals will remain in place through Mother’s Day on Sunday.
“We know that this is a time, one of the many times, when people get together,” said Health Minister Adrian Dix, who encouraged people to continue to connect online. “We know that every day is difficult when we can’t visit our parents or our grandparents or our friends in long-term care.”
Weeks ago, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said a ban on non-essential visitors to seniors homes and hospitals could be eased to perhaps one visitor, but no date was given.
There are currently about 21 active outbreaks of COVID-19 in long-term care and acute-care sites in B.C. There are no outbreaks in long-term care, assisted-living residences or acute-care hospitals on Vancouver Island, but health officials said Wednesday that the pandemic plan is province-wide and can’t be tailored by region.
The majority of the COVID-19 deaths in B.C. have been seniors in long-term care or assisted-living facilities.
Health officials have instituted several measures, including the ban on non-essential visitors and aggressive testing for respiratory illnesses. Recent outbreaks have been contained to one or a few people.
“The restrictions that have been placed on visitors in long-term care and in acute care must continue,” Dix said. “Of course, we are working on ways to improve the situation, but that has to be done with the primary goal of ensuring the safety and the health of people in long-term care. We will continue to work on this issue.”
As B.C. slowly begins to reopen after COVID-19 restrictions, there are few solid answers about whether you can hug your grandmother on Mother’s Day and how to double your number of safe contacts.
The best plan is to use common sense, Henry said Thursday. “Just because it is allowed does not mean that everyone must or should change what they are doing now. Each of us must use the individual principles that we have set out and guide our own actions moving forward.” While some people are looking for “very clear direction and rules that everyone must follow,” she said, everyone’s circumstance is unique.
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