British Columbia’s top doctor will seek to make a ban on gatherings of more than 250 people mandatory.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry made the statement as she announced 11 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday, three of them linked to a North Vancouver hospital. B.C. now has 56 confirmed cases.
Henry said issuing an official order banning mass gatherings will allow organizers to recoup costs through insurance.
Henry added that province has also determined that people involved in the transport of goods and people into Canada, such as long-haul truckers and air crews, have been deemed an essential service.
She said the workers will not be subject to the 14-day isolation period Canada is requiring of international travellers entering the country.
However, Henry said those people will need to take added precautions.
“These are risky travels. So air crews for example, people who truck back and forth across the border, they need to have an active monitoring program,” she said.
“They need to have access to clean their hands regularly, enhanced infection control on trucks, on ferries, on airplanes. Those are all measures that are being put in place.”
The three new hospital cases are all administrative workers at Lions Gate Hospital, said Henry, adding that an investigation is underway to determine the source of the infection.
All three workers are in isolation.
Henry added that one of the new cases identified Friday is a close contact of a health-care worker at the Lynn Valley Care Centre who was previously diagnosed with COVID-19.
Five of the new cases are related to travel, she said.
On Friday, federal officials also urged all Canadians to cancel non-essential international travel, and suspended the cruise ship season until July.
Officials also said they were restricting international air travel to a handful of airports.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who remains in isolation after his wife was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Thursday, said the federal government is also preparing a fiscal stimulus package to help Canadians and businesses.
U.S. President Donald Trump declared the pandemic a national emergency on Friday, freeing up US$50 billion to support state and local governments in stopping the spread of the virus.
On Thursday, B.C. officials called on event organizers to cancel all gatherings of more than 250 people.
