"Keep your groups small": BC's top doctor has Thanksgiving request
As the Thanksgiving long weekend draws closer, BC’s top doctor is asking that everyone keep their groups small this year.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry addressed the upcoming holiday during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
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“I want to ask everyone, please keep your groups small this year,” Henry said. “Remember what we are seeing in our communities right now. And in particular, if you have older family members or anyone who’s immunocompromised and planning to attend.”
She also stressed the importance of everyone attending being fully vaccinated.
“Make sure everyone who is there is fully vaccinated. That’s what you can do to protect yourself and to protect those you are closest to,” Henry added. “We want to make sure these gatherings are a happy occurrence and not a cause for virus transmission and illness in the coming weeks.”
She also reminded that the Delta virus, which has been causing a fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic across Canada, is “not only more transmissible but is causing more severe illness in younger people.”
“We see that every day in our ICUs here now, in our hospitals, in the number of people who have severe illness and sadly, in the number of deaths that we’re seeing.”