VANCOUVER -- B.C.’s health minister won’t say whether COVID-19 provincial travel restrictions will be lifted in time for the summer holidays.
Adrian Dix spoke to reporters during a media availability in Victoria on Tuesday, and said that COVID-19 transmission and hospitalizations are still too high for him to be thinking beyond the day-to-day.
“I think it's really important to stay in the present, and right now we need to focus on no travel, no non-essential travel,” he said.
“Right now we need to live in the present, right now that means following public health guidance, and public health orders,” he added.
The government is aiming to have all adults vaccinated with a first dose by July 1, and offered a second dose within 16 weeks. It means that most people can expect to be partially vaccinated in time for the summer’s prime vacation and travel period of July and August, leaving many to wonder whether any amount of non-essential travel will be opened up.
Dix said that although health officials and ministers are exploring how to eventually lift travel restrictions when that time comes, they are doing so because lifting them may be as challenging as implementing them.
“I know that we’re preparing, but we can’t get ahead of ourselves,” said Dix.
“The number of cases today, and the number in the last few days is less than it was in previous weeks, but it’s still way too high,” he said.
“We have a significant number of people in the hospital. We are laser focused on the present.”
Anyone trying to find loopholes within B.C.’s travel restrictions, or asking whether it’s OK to vacation in a neighbouring town within one’s own health region, is asking the wrong questions, Dix said.
B.C.’s current measures recommend against all non-essential travel within the province, even within one’s own health region, but the province is only enforcing the travel ban between three regions: Island Health; Northern and Interior health; and Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health. However, Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry have repeatedly said that everyone should be staying in their home communities.
“The right thing, right now, is not to travel,” Dix said.
'Laser focused on the present': health minister won't make promises on summer travel - CTV News Vancouver
Read More
No comments:
Post a Comment