Medical Health Officer Geoff McKee has been invited to speak at the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) about COVID-19, previously known as 2019 nCov or “novel coronavirus.”
The Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) official was asked to “present information regarding the potential impact of the COVID-19 Coronavirus on the Sunshine Coast,” according to the motion SCRD directors adopted at a Feb. 27 board meeting.
Board chair Lori Pratt said the invite was intended to get information about the virus, “and what we would need to do as a government entity.”
On Feb. 25, Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Bonnie Henry issued a joint statement that the province is “preparing for all possibilities that may occur in the coming weeks, including the possibility of a pandemic.”
“In recent days, we have seen an increasing number of countries around the world with a growing number of cases. While the risk of spread of this virus within British Columbia remains low at this time, we are watching the global evolution of COVID-19 carefully and are focusing efforts on containing the spread of COVID-19 in B.C. and in Canada,” read the statement.
The province’s first confirmed case of COVID-19 was announced Jan. 28 in the VCH region in Vancouver. As of Feb. 25, seven people have tested positive in B.C.
Late January, communications officer Heather Amos of the BC Centre for Disease Control told Coast Reporter they are working closely with the province’s hospitals to ensure they have the latest information about novel coronavirus and that all hospitals in B.C. take steps to prepare for the possibility of a pandemic in accordance with the Ministry of Health’s pandemic response plans.
“Health care workers across B.C. have been advised to be vigilant, take travel histories of anyone experiencing fever and respiratory illness, and immediately report any suspected cases to their local Medical Health Officers for further investigation,” Amos said via email.
Anyone who believes they have symptoms of the disease, which can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing, are asked by VCH to “please stay at home and call 8-1-1.”
According to Dix and Henry’s joint statement, “The most important measures people can take to prevent respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, are cleaning your hands regularly, avoiding touching your face, coughing or sneezing into your elbow sleeve, disposing of tissues appropriately and staying home and away from others if you are sick.”
– With files from Sean Eckford
