Interior Health issues COVID-19 alert
By Interior Health Authority
Interior Health is alerting residents throughout the region that surging COVID-19 activity has become a concern.
Due to higher rates of COVID-19 being detected, Interior Health is concerned by the upward trend and frequency of new clusters in the region.
The provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, has issued regional orders for Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health. These orders are not currently directed at Interior Health; however, we need your support to avoid stringent measures in the Interior Region.
Interior Health urges against any non-essential travel. This means no unnecessary visits to the Lower Mainland or other jurisdictions with surging cases.
COVID-19 cases in schools, health-care settings, and workplaces are disruptive but not unexpected. These cases reflect increased COVID-19 activity in the community. You can play a role in preventing transmission in our communities by following this guidance:
· Maintaining our social connections are important for our wellbeing. However, please keep your bubble small and limited to your household and a handful (up to six) close friends.
· When planning your holiday gathering, please avoid travel and choose to celebrate with individuals in your bubble.
· Physical distancing measures are especially challenging for young people. It is important they also keep their bubble small and, as much as possible, limit their interactions to a close group of friends from within their school cohort.
· Essential workers, such as health-care workers and teachers, play a critical role in our communities and therefore it is imperative they also keep their bubble small.
· Remember: The provincial health officer’s orders to household gatherings applies province-wide. This means no more than six people from outside your household bubble should gather in your home.
As cases surge, Interior Health is committed to ensuring you have timely access to COVID-19 testing in order to diagnose, investigate and contact trace each case of COVID-19. We are counting on each and every resident in the Interior to help us keep our case count low by following the outlined recommendations.
For more information about COVID-19 testing, visit https://news.interiorhealth.ca/news/testing-information/
