Dr. Bonnie Henry has been fielding a steady stream of questions at her daily briefings around which types of business and services should close during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dental offices have been a particular focus of those questions since Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) issued an advisory to people who attended the Pacific Dental Conference in Vancouver March 5 to 7.
During her March 24 briefing, Henry acknowledged that a dentist who attended that conference has since died, but said the investigation continues into whether his death was COVID-19 related.
“This conference is a major source of some of the infections that we’ve been seeing in B.C. There are now up to 32 people that we can link directly or indirectly to that conference,” Henry said. She’d also said earlier that up to a dozen cases in other parts of the country are also linked to the conference.
Henry said patients who may have been in contact with an infected dentist have been notified by public health officials.
“If you have not been notified by public health then there’s no need to be concerned… We’re now past the incubation period for that conference,” she said.
“I have provided advice to all of the regulatory colleges about the actions their members should be taking in the community right now to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19… That includes chiropractors, dentists, physicians, nurses, massage therapists, who fall under the Regulated Health Professions Act. That advice is to minimize any physical contact and reduce your practice to emergency services only.”
The College of Dental Surgeons of BC had already advised its members to take those measures.
Henry’s advice letter says, “Health professionals who provide emergent, urgent, and/or essential care must assess and screen patients and clients for symptoms of COVID-19. Unless direct physical contact with patients and clients is required, physical distancing of two metres should be maintained at all times. When direct physical contact is required for the care of patients and clients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, health professionals must use infection control practices including as appropriate personal protective equipment.”
“These are very limiting boundaries to permit access to care compared to business as usual in dental offices where the community has been accustomed to preventing these conditions from arising through preventive procedures such as fillings, tooth cleaning, root canals, and surgery,” Mary Findlay a VCH community dental hygienist, told Coast Reporter in an email.
“Your dental community is adhering to directives that are informed by science to protect the community from harm. This is not easy for anyone... If you believe you have a dental emergency, contact your dental office for advice.”
Findlay also offered some tips for people to avoid dental problems in the meantime, such as drinking water, daily brushing and flossing, using an anti-cavity product such as xylitol or fluoride, avoiding sweetened beverages and comfort foods heavy on sugar, and avoiding flavoured yogurt for children.
Pubs, bars and restaurants
Through her powers under the health emergency, Henry first ordered pubs and bars with “liquor primary” licences to close, and on March 20 she announced that she was expanding that order.
Henry said it was becoming obvious that her previous direction that restaurants could operate while keeping appropriate distances between guests and between guests and staff “is a very challenging thing to do.”
“From today the order is that restaurants must move to take-out or delivery model only as the way to best protect us and to ensure that we can maintain those distances,” Henry said.
Henry has also emphasized the power to work with local authorities to enforce those orders.
Barbers, hairdressers, spas and tattoo parlours
On March 21 Henry issued a new order to close personal service establishments such as salons, spas, massage and tattoo parlours.
Daycares
The status of daycares has also been a question for many in the public.
“All daycares do not need to stay open,” Henry said. “Many children, most children, should be at home with their families right now, particularly now since many families are not working and we’ve asked them to stay at home or work from home. That’s important.
“What is also important is that we have that essential daycare service for the essential workers, particularly health care workers and others who do need to go to work to keep things moving and to keep our health system working. That’s what I have asked be put in place.”
Support for daycare operators and parents was part of the $5 billion COVID-19 action plan announced by the province on March 23.
Other businesses
“I would appeal again to the businesses that are out there. Do the right thing. And the right thing is if you’re not able to protect people adequately using the guidance that we’ve given then you need to close for now,” Henry said at one of her recent briefings. “Close for your own benefit, close for the protection of your own family as well as your community.”
Henry said on March 24 that she did not anticipate issuing any new orders about limiting the movement of people or the operation of commercial establishments.
“If we look at what other places have done, including in Canada, about locking down, what we’ve done is essentially that, and it’s taken some time for people to get their heads around that and understand why we’re doing this and we’re seeing progress,” Henry said. “What we’ve done in the last week to 10 days is going to make a huge difference in the next week to 10 days.”
