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UPDATE: 3:25 p.m.
As transmission of COVID-19 continues to rise rapidly across the Central Okanagan, hospitalizations have begun to follow suit, resulting in more restrictions placed on the region.
During a press conference Friday where Dr. Bonnie Henry announced a number of new restrictions in the region, she noted COVID-19 hospitalizations in the Interior have risen to 31 on Friday, up from 20 on Thursday. Ten Interior residents are being treated in ICU. She said the majority of these cases are at Kelowna General Hospital.
“In general what we're seeing is underimmunized, so people who've only had a single dose, or unimmunized people being hospitalized, but there have [also] been some people who are fully immunized, mostly older people, people over the age of 70,” Dr. Henry said. “And that tells us that as we're older, we may not mount as strong as an immune response.”
Interior Health's chief medical health officer Dr. Sue Pollock said more younger people are being hospitalized in the Interior during this fourth wave of the virus.
“We are seeing hospitalization across the different age groups,” Dr. Pollock said. “That is a change from what we saw previously where we tended to see hospitalizations in the older age groups, so it is a bit more spread out now.”
Dr. Henry noted that fully vaccinated people only make up about five per cent of the province's new cases, while they make up about four per cent of hospitalizations.
But the new restrictions implemented in the Central Okanagan Friday will impact everyone.
“We're putting in the measures that are addressing those situations where we're seeing transmission events happening,” Dr. Henry said, noting transmission is largely happening in social settings among younger, unvaccinated people.
In addition to the indoor, public mask mandate implemented in the region last week, the new measures include:
- Outdoor personal gatherings limited to 50 people
- Indoor personal gatherings limited to five people, or one other household
- Indoor seated organized gatherings limited to 50 people, with COVID safety plan
- Outdoor organized gatherings limited to 50 people, with COVID safety plan
- Closing nightclubs and liquor-primary bars with no food service
- Maximum of six people per table at restaurants
- Liquor service ending at 10 p.m. at restaurants
- High-intensity indoor group fitness classes suspended
- Limit of five guests plus the occupants in vacation rentals and house boats
- Non-essential travel into and out of Central Okanagan strongly discouraged
The new measures on events and gatherings will take effect next Monday, while the rest of the new restrictions will come into effect immediately.
ORIGINAL: 2:20 p.m.
With rapid transmission of COVID-19 continuing across the Central Okanagan, more regional-specific restrictions have been put in place.
During a press conference Friday, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced personal indoor gatherings in the Central Okanagan will be restricted to five people, or one other household, while personal outdoor gatherings will be restricted to a maximum of 50 people.
Organized outdoor and indoor gatherings will be limited to a maximum of 50 people, and attendees at these indoor events will need to be seated.
Nightclubs and liquor-primary bars that don't serve food in the region will be once again closed, while liquor service at restaurants will be cut off at 10 p.m. and a maximum of six people will be allowed at tables.
High-intensity indoor fitness classes in the region will be shut down again. In local vacation rentals, a maximum of five additional visitors will be allowed.
The new measures on gatherings will take effect next Monday, while the rest of the new restrictions will take place immediately.
These restrictions are in addition to the indoor, public mask mandate put in place in the Central Okanagan last week.
Dr. Henry is also encouraging people not to travel in and out of the Central Okanagan for non-essential reasons, although no enforceable travel restrictions have been put in place.
More to come.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, Health Minister Adrian Dix and Interior Health's Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Sue Pollock are providing an update on the COVID-19 response in the Central Okanagan region.
