On the two-year anniversary of the province’s first case of COVID-19, BC health officials shared some data outlining the work that has gone into the pandemic response.
In a PowerPoint presentation titled “Two Years of Working Together,” health officials documented infections, hospitalizations, deaths, vaccinations, and how BC compared to the rest of Canada.
They also provided some clues as to what we can expect to happen next in BC’s pandemic response.
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Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix were together during the presentation, which was also the two-year anniversary of when they first appeared in front of BC. Friday marked the 276th briefing.
Henry was even wearing the same outfit she did exactly two years ago.
One thing that the presentation made clear through the use of charts and graphs is that the Omicron variant escalated the situation in BC.
BC Ministry of Health
“Remembering where we have been and what we have come through can help us put where we are today into perspective and can help us remember a lot of what we have learned and experienced together,” said Henry.
BC Ministry of Health
One positive update that Henry shared is that over half of eligible kids aged five to 11 have received one dose of a vaccine.
Henry spoke about the efforts made by British Columbians and how those efforts helped to save lives.
BC Ministry of Health
It felt almost like deja vu as she recounted how we learned how to physically distance and wear masks, and wash our hands.
BC Ministry of Health
She also shed some light on how Indigenous communities were more at risk and how BC partnered with the First Nations Health Authority.
When sharing news about BC administering the very first COVID-19 vaccine, Henry smiled. She added that it was a struggle not being able to administer as many vaccines as they wanted to early on due to supply constraints.
BC Ministry of Health
BC has had to change its strategy numerous times, particularly because of the numerous variants that have appeared over the course of the last two years. She paid particular attention to the Delta variant, which led to more severe illness.
“We can look ahead to a time when we have enough immunity and we have enough control that we can start to open up again, and we can take these extraordinary measures away,” Henry added.
She followed that up by saying that the virus would be with us for a while longer, and that new variants would likely emerge.
Overall, it felt like a trip down memory lane that you didn’t want to take, or a relative sharing home videos of a vacation that you didn’t want to see.
As BC continues to try and navigate the pandemic, the next major update will likely be in mid-February, when BC provides an update to the provincial health orders that have kept bars and nightclubs closed.