The escalation in the provincial government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak has forced the City of Vancouver to ban all-city run gatherings of 250 people or more until further notice.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry recommended Thursday that indoor and outdoor sporting events, conferences, meetings, religious gatherings and other events that would exceed an attendance of 250 people be cancelled in British Columbia.
“This threshold has been selected, as it is much easier to maintain important social distancing to prevent transmission of COVID-19,” Henry said from the B.C. Legislature.
“Some post-secondary institutions have classes with more than 250 students, and we are working with them to take measures to address this situation. Over spring break, the B.C. government will also work with school districts to develop procedures to be implemented with students and staff when classes resume.”
Henry’s order forced the City of Vancouver to shift its position Thursday morning that it wasn’t planning to cancel public gatherings or close public facilities. The city issued a news release Thursday night saying all gatherings attracting 250 people or more would be cancelled or postponed.
That notice led to all shows at Vancouver civic theatres being cancelled Thursday and Friday, including Shen Yun and My Dad Wrote a Porno at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and Pech Kucha Night Volume 51 and Chopin Society’s Dina Yoffe at the Vancouver Playhouse.
The Beethoven Experience: A Most Remarkable Night 1, scheduled for Friday at the Orpheum was also cancelled.
City-run events, permitted events or gatherings booked by third party organizers are also under review, the city said, but gave no indication how long or whether other performances would be cancelled through next week.
American rock bands The Drive-By Truckers, scheduled to perform March 17 at the Commodore, and Wilco, scheduled to play March 21 at the Orpheum, have postponed their shows. Rescheduled dates have not been set, according to the bands' websites.
The Courier reported Thursday that the city has activated its emergency operations centre and that pandemic plans have been reviewed. Mayor Kennedy Stewart issued a statement following Henry’s order saying the risk to the general public to contract the virus “remains low.”
But the mayor urged all residents to take simple precautions such as regularly washing their hands, covering their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, staying home if sick and to call 8-1-1 if exhibiting symptoms of the coronavirus.
Henry said people infected with the coronavirus increased to 53 on Thursday, with three cases connected to the Hollyburn House Retirement Residence in West Vancouver. Three of the cases are travel-related and one was contracted in the community.
Two are health care workers in their 40s who work at Hollyburn and the third is a resident in his 90s. The outbreak at Hollyburn is linked to the outbreak at Lynn Valley Care Centre, which saw a resident die of the virus.
Of B.C.’s 53 cases, four people have fully recovered and one woman in her 60s remains in hospital in the Fraser Health region in stable condition. All other affected people are in isolation at home with care and support from public health teams.
Henry also recommended Thursday against all non-essential travel outside of Canada, including the United States. Effective immediately, anyone who chooses to travel outside of Canada will be asked to stay away from work or school for 14 days upon their return.
Henry is expected to provide an update on the coronavirus outbreak at 3:30 p.m. Friday.
@Howellings
