BC's top doctor calls coronavirus outbreak at restaurant a "wake-up call"

British Columbia’s top doctor is reminding people to remain vigilant and monitor their own symptoms after a COVID-19 outbreak at a local restaurant.

During Tuesday’s press conference, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry spoke about a restaurant that had seen four to five employees diagnosed with coronavirus. While she didn’t name the restaurant, she noted that it was a smaller one.

“I’m not going to say the name of the restaurant because it’s a small one,” she told reporters. “But the situation is similar to what we have seen in other places.”

“Someone doesn’t recognize that they have milder symptoms and they may not have the appropriate spacing or barriers in the workplace.”

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Henry notes that she doesn’t believe any customers were exposed while at the restaurant.

She also points out that this is a similar situation that has been seen in a number of other workplaces. Members of the public health team were also on the scene, doing a full review of the restaurant’s plan and the infection control precautions in place.

Henry says that this event is similar to those seen in other workplaces across the province as well.

“We saw it in the poultry plants, we’ve seen it in a number of other workplaces,” she says. “If we catch it early, we can contain it very quickly.”

The Provincial Health Officer called the outbreak a “wake-up call,” reminding people to take all the necessary precautions with their coworkers.

“It only takes one person in a crowded setting to spread it to many others,” she says. “And we have seen that around the world but we’ve also seen it in our communities in BC.”