B.C. has no plans to follow Alberta in lifting COVID-19 protocols

Photo: BC gov. Flickr

Health Minister Adrian Dix

As Alberta plans to reel in its COVID-19 public health protocols by mid-August, B.C. has no plans to follow suit any time soon.

This week, Alberta's Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced that on Aug. 16, people who test positive for COVID-19 will no longer be required to isolate while routine contact tracing will end, outside of high-risk settings. The move has been met with backlash from many.

During a press conference Friday, B.C.'s Health Minister Adrian Dix made it clear that the COVID-19 protocols in place in B.C. will stay for the foreseeable future.

“We have no plans, none, to change our requirements around self-isolation in B.C. We have no plans, none, to change our approach to contact tracing in B.C.,” Dix said.

“The public health part of our response will continue to be substantial and meet the necessary needs of people who get sick with COVID-19.”

Dix said while restrictions continue to ease in B.C., the public health protocols for people who do contract the virus become even more important.

He added that Alberta has "outstanding public health leadership," but he didn't comment on whether he agreed with Alberta's move.

While Dix was asked about concerns over Albertans who may travel to B.C. following the changes there, he didn't directly address the question. Even when travel restrictions were put in place between health authorities in B.C. last spring, travellers from Alberta were never barred from entering the province.

Dix also stressed the importance of becoming immunized moving forward, and noted that vaccination rates for those under 50 is less in the Interior than the rest of the province. A pop-up vaccination clinic is coming to downtown Kelowna over the long weekend.