B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix has a message for those who are planning to ignore COVID-19 safety measures and gather in large groups this long weekend: give your head a shake.
Over the Canada Day long weekend, a single group of tourists in Kelowna spread COVID-19 to dozens of people after attending several private parties around the city. With the B.C. Day long weekend just around the corner, Dix urged people to take the proper precautions this time around.
“At the risk of channeling the premier, I think people do need to give their head a shake a little bit here,” Dix said in regards to talks of another large gathering being planned at Vancouver’s Third Beach.
“But the things that we’re most concerned about are the things we’ve seen in other places, which are indoor parties … If people are being invited to those parties, where they don’t know people who are there and they’re joining in those things, I think I would just say to them, this is not the weekend for that. Next weekend isn’t either and the weekend after that isn’t either.”
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry noted that much of the large surge in cases B.C. has seen over the past few weeks can be attributed to parties in Kelowna.
“What we saw is when our groups are too big and we have too many people outside of our household bubble getting together, particularly when people are coming from different parts, then they bring their risk with them,” she said.
“Let’e make this long weekend a different one than what we saw in early July. Whether you are 15, 25 or 55, celebrate our incredible province by socializing safely.”
Since June 26, 130 Interior residents have been diagnosed with COVID-19, in connection to cases in Kelowna. Dr. Henry said for the most part, this surge in cases did not spill over into B.C.’s older population, or into long-term seniors care homes.
