B.C.’s provincial health officer says there is no need for the “heavy hand” of a mask mandate in the province as it moves into respiratory illness season.
Speaking at a press conference Wednesday, Dr. Bonnie Henry said British Columbians should consider wearing a mask indoors, but did not go as far as implementing a mask mandate.
Henry added the mask mandate was brought in when vaccination rates were low and gathering restrictions were in place. “In that context, masks were necessary in a wide range of situations,” she said.
“We are in a much different situation now.”
Henry said while influenza cases are up, 90 per cent of people in the province have some immunity to the COVID-19 virus through vaccination and infection or both.
Anyone with sick children at home may decide to wear a mask at work, Henry added.
The mandate continues to ensure mask-wearing in hospital and health-care settings.
The update comes amid extremely long wait times at numerous B.C. hospitals, including BC Children’s Hospital.
A parent told Global News on Tuesday that they had to wait at the BC Children’s Hospital just to register.
“It is insanely busy. We have been in line for about an hour and we still have about 17 people in front of us just to get registered,” Deanna Conley said.
“There’s nowhere to sit, there’s nowhere to stand. It’s insane.”
A B.C. family doctor said she has seen a rise in respiratory illnesses in her younger patients as well.
”The respiratory virus incidents are rising and we’re seeing that in the community,” said Dr. Anna Wolak, a B.C. family physician.
“I know I’m not the only physician who’s being slammed with all these same-day appointments for all these little ones who are coming in sick.”
Henry announced Wednesday that the province has activated a new system to address the surge in admissions for pediatric patients.
This means a dedicated provincial pediatric table, led by BC Children’s Hospital, will coordinate pediatric resources and rapidly respond to increased demand across the province.
It will include an improvement to emergency department triage processes, Henry explained, and will work to connect patients with options at the community care level rather than unnecessary hospital stays or long emergency department waits.
The province will be hiring additional patient care coordinators to take on this role and will work with urgent and primary care centres to provide the best level of care.
Pediatric ICUs are located at the BC Children’s, Victoria General and University of Northern BC hospitals.
Data provided by the province showed that between Sept. 1 to Nov. 14 emergency department visits varied considerably day-to-day.
However, the average daily visits were approximately 6,700 in September and October.
In November to date, daily emergency department visits were up slightly, averaging 6,765.
The Ministry of Health said service reductions, including postponing surgeries, could be required while the province deals with the increase in hospital visits.
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