by: katie derosa
b.c.’s provincial health officer admits there is a risk that interprovincial travel could increase covid-19 transmission after alberta announced an ambitious reopening with all public health restrictions to be lifted there by early july.
however, dr. bonnie henry said the pace of vaccinations here makes it a manageable risk.
“yes, we do know travel spread things — even within b.c. we saw travel spreading this virus,” henry told postmedia news on wednesday. “it is a risk, but i also think it is something that we can manage.”
b.c.’s gradual four-step reopening — which now allows people to dine indoors, gather indoors with up to 10 people or outdoors with up to 50 people — envisions fairs, festivals, bingo halls, casinos and nightclubs resuming operations by july 1. but it predicts a full return to normal only by sept. 7, as long as more than 70 per cent of british columbians 18 and older are vaccinated with their first dose.
by contrast, alberta’s three-step plan, unveiled wednesday, allows for all public health restrictions to be lifted two weeks after 70 per cent of eligible albertans 12 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. premier jason kenney predicted, based on vaccination supply and bookings, the benchmark could be reached by late june or early july.