'We have flattened': B.C.'s health officer says major effects of COVID-19 restrictions still to be seen

Dr. Bonnie Henry speaks at a COVID-19 briefing on Dec. 14, 2020. (Province of BC/Flickr)

Vancouver — Nearly a month after the entire province was placed under strict social restrictions in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, B.C.'s top doctor says the impacts of those rules are still being measured.

During her briefing Monday, Dr. Bonnie Henry said health officials didn't expect to make major changes to the restrictions in the near future, explaining it'll take some time to really notice the impacts of the current ones.

"We are looking out through this next few-week period," she said. "We have flattened, we are not back down, and part of that reflects the fact that we had flattened at a fairly high level and there's still ongoing transmission in those close environments."

Henry did say there has been a "very steep decline" in large group gatherings, but warned "chains of transmissions are still happening."

In other words, the provincial health officer explained that as significant transmission happened when large gatherings were still taking place weeks ago, the disease is now still spreading within households and in workplaces.

In September, when daily case counts were typically around 100, B.C.'s active caseload was between 1,000 and 2,000 cases. But cases quickly rose in October and November so by the time province-wide restrictions were implemented on Nov. 19, there were nearly 7,000 active cases across B.C.

"So we're not out of the woods yet," she said. "But the measures that we have put in place are making a difference."

The current restrictions in B.C., which prohibit social gatherings outside households with few exceptions for those living alone, will be in place until at least Jan. 8.