Residents of Haida Gwaii asked to pull back social circles amid outbreak

Jul 28 2020, 8:44 pm

A recent community outbreak of COVID-19 on Haida Gwaii has prompted measures to contain the spread.

On Friday, an outbreak was officially declared, with Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry confirming all cases were local residents.

“Some are related to residents who had recently travelled off island, and others are from exposure to known cases,” said Dr. Henry.

On Monday, an additional case was confirmed to be associated with the outbreak in the Haida Gwaii area.

A community bulletin from the Haida Nation asks residents to practice “lateral kindness” to those who are ill at home, and to try and reduce the stigma that may exist around coronavirus so that those who are ill feel comfortable speaking up.

In addition, Haida Gwaii’s emergency measures recommend people pull back their social circles, keep in contact only with people they live with, limit travel between island communities, and implement checkpoints and curfews in some areas.

Residents are also being told they should not travel to or from the islands unless it is essential.

Dr. Henry reiterated the importance of taking measures seriously to help the curve flatten in BC once again.

“This is why it is so important that we continue to take our actions now to protect ourselves and protect each other as we move through our pandemic,” she added.

“We bend the curve, not the rules.”

Rumneek JohalRumneek Johal

+ News
+ Coronavirus
ADVERTISEMENT