Do British Columbia's top health officials base their coronavirus response on scientific evidence or politics?
It's a question that was posed to B.C.'s top doctor in a press briefing Tuesday (March 1), and one that many people have questioned through the course of the pandemic.
But the answer to the question may not have cleared all of the confusion.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry stated that "it's probably everything," noting that B.C.'s response really isn't that much different from the other provinces.
"We're all very much aligned," she said, remarking that the dates when restrictions were put in place and later removed are similar across Canada.
"What we've done is given a timeline for when we're revising things," the health officer added. "We've had the layers of protection in place in the settings where they're most at risk. And, you know, if we look at the BC Vaccine Card and where we've used the B.C.'s vaccine card, it has been focusing absolutely on those highest risk indoor settings in discretionary settings."
Heading toward spring break, the province will be "removing restrictions and layers of protection," noted Henry. Spring will be a "transition" phase for people to start to "come together" again and resume activities they haven't been able to enjoy for a long time. However, they must take accountability for themselves.
"So yes, we are following the process that we've been using and that is slightly different than how other provinces have used for their vaccine cards," she explained.
"So it's all the same science. It's how it's been implemented and where we've been using things, what restrictions are in place, when and where — that varies a little bit between provinces."
