The province confirmed another 874 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, April 29. (BC Government)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

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‘Stay away right now:’ stopping non-essential travel the key to curbing COVID-19 transmission

Apr 29, 2021 | 1:34 PM

NANAIMO — Public health has reaffirmed their plea not to travel recreationally during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said any non-essential travel outside of the three designated health zones set up in the province should not take place.

During a Thursday, April 29 media briefing she singled out smaller communities on the Sunshine Coast and outside the Lower Mainland as particularly vulnerable.

“Hospitals in smaller communities don’t have the capacity to carry any additional burden right now. I am asking you to stay away right now on behalf of those communities. Leaders in those communities are telling us they are not ready for an influx of additional people in the coming weeks.”

Vancouver Island, including the surrounding Gulf Islands, are included in one health authority meaning travel is permitted and not subject to health orders in effect through the May long weekend.

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Non-essential travel between communities, for example from Nanaimo to Victoria, is still highly discouraged.

Fines of $575 can be issued for people travelling outside their area without a valid purpose. CounterAttack-style checkpoints are being conducted randomly outside ferry terminals on Vancouver Island at at major highway intersections on the mainland.

A total of 853 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed by public health on Thursday.

Island Health reported 32 new cases from the last 24 hours, including 11 within the central Island region.

The number of active cases dropped to 264, a reduction of five from Wednesday’s report. There are 80 active cases on the central Island.

There is a data discrepancy between Island Health and the province, based on the timing of COVID-19 results. NanaimoNewsNOW reports local verified data from Island Health.

Active cases across B.C. dropped to 7,996, including 503 patients who are currently checked in for COVID-19 province-wide, with 178 receiving intensive care.

Nearly 1.75 million doses of vaccine have been administered to date in B.C., with the province expecting doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine beginning next week.

“We will be receiving much more vaccine in the coming weeks and this process will again be able to be sped up,” Dr. Henry said. “In the next month, we expect to receive over 1,000,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and that means our age-based will be accelerated and everybody will get their turn.”

Appointments for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are being taken for those 58 and up, while people aged 30 and over can receive an AstraZeneca shot at select pharmacies across B.C.

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