BC ends mandatory masks in health facilities and proof of immunization for long-term care visitors

British Columbia will end universal mask mandates in healthcare settings, the state’s health offer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, announced Thursday.

Victoria’s Henry said masks will continue to be required in certain high-risk areas and where patients with symptoms of COVID-19 are seeking medical care.

Vaccine mandates for health care workers remain in effect.

“We are now at a stage where we can change some of the restrictions in the healthcare environment,” said Henry of Victoria. Workers wear masks based on risk assessment.

Visitors to long-term care and nursing homes will also no longer need to show proof of rapid testing or COVID-19 vaccination.

BC Centers for Disease Control laboratory and wastewater monitoring data shows that COVID-19 and influenza infections are declining in all parts of the state.

“What we’ve seen is that hospitalizations have plateaued and declined,” Henry said.

Data show that new hospitalizations for COVID-19 per day have fallen from about 40 in early January to about 25 in mid-March.

However, according to the BC Center for Disease Control, the number of severe cases of COVID-19 is trending up slightly, from 14 on March 14 to 19 last week and 21 most recently. A weekly report was released on Thursday.

Watch | Dr. Bonnie Henry outlines changes to public health measures:

BC lifts mandatory masking in healthcare and proof of immunization for long-term care visitors

B.C. will end universal mask mandates in healthcare settings, the state’s health offer doctor Dr. Bonnie Henry announced Thursday. 19 Eliminates the need to show proof of vaccination.

The unprecedented flu season, which hit children in particular, has weakened, similar to the timing of past seasons, but other viruses that cause coughs and colds in children and the elderly are still circulating.

Starting Thursday, the BCCDC’s weekly status report on respiratory illnesses will drop to bi-weekly, and the BC will not update its COVID-19 dashboard after April 20th.

Nearly 40% of people who die within 30 days of testing positive for COVID-19 have an underlying cause of death identified as COVID-19, Henry said.

The number of people dying directly or indirectly from COVID-19 has also dropped to about 5 people per day. Older people, especially those over the age of 80, are most likely to be hospitalized or die.

“When you put all this together, you can see that our community has very strong immunity,” Henry said. “And that is backed up by what we see in hospitalizations and infections.”

Vaccines are the ‘best defense’

Data show that vaccination, possibly in combination with previous infections, is a powerful preventative against hospitalization and death.

Since September 2022, about 225 per 100,000 people who have not been vaccinated have been hospitalized, compared to about 90 per 100,000 who have received four doses of the vaccine.

Unvaccinated people are also three times more likely to be admitted to critical care and more than twice as likely to die of COVID-19 as those who have been vaccinated four times.

“The best protection you can have continues to come from vaccination,” Henry said.

The Spring Booster will begin rolling out this week to Seniors 80+, Indigenous Peoples 70+, and those 18+ who are at high risk for serious consequences.

Adults over the age of 60 and Indigenous people over the age of 50 who have not yet been infected are also eligible for the spring booster.

All adults are likely eligible to receive another booster injection before the next respiratory season begins in the fall, Henry said.

Critics call announcement ‘disheartening’

BC Green Party deputy leader Sanjiv Gandhi said in a statement that he was “extremely disappointed” by the lifting of masking requirements in health care settings, saying it would be a last resort for BC’s most vulnerable population to COVID infection. said one of its lines of defense would be removed.

Dr. Lyne Filiatrault, a former emergency physician and spokesperson for Protect Our Province BC, is a group of health care professionals, scientists and advocates who say they want evidence-based policies, and this It states that the move will bring more sickness to patients and health. care worker.

“It’s really disappointing for everyone in British Columbia because seeking medical care means you’re more likely to get infected. It also means more outbreaks in long-term care.” said Philiatrout.

She also said changes to COVID-19 data reporting are making it more difficult for British Columbians to assess their own risk.