Revelstoke’s doctors and nurses said they can’t fight COVID-19 alone without help from the public.
“We are working flat out there for our patients and their families,” 19 Revelstoke physicians wrote in a statement to the community.
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They are begging all residents to maintain strict physical distancing unless absolutely necessary.
The letter states that this means no dinner parties, no house parties, no children’s play dates, no carpooling. They suggest to have coffee chats with friends and family online and order groceries for remote pick up or delivery if possible.
“No one is exempt.”
The doctors ask for people to keep two metres away from everyone, including at the grocery store and all outdoor recreation.
“That’s about the width of a car or the length of two arms stretched out,” the statement said. It continued to urge folks to avoid congregating in groups greater than four people unless they live together.
The doctors urge people to carry sanitizer, wash hands frequently and spread the message.
“Be kind.”
Revelstoke’s doctors said youth may not be appreciating the severity of the crisis and that they need to take precautions to not spread the virus.
“You can be carries that infect and gravely endanger the person behind you in the grocery store that you may not even know — someone’s parents, grandparents, those with other health problems, essential services workers keeping the flow of goods and our strained economy functioning.”
They continued the time to act is now.
“We cannot wait one more hour or one more day. Join us. Help us.”
If you develop respiratory symptoms or discover you’ve had contact with someone positive for the virus, Revelstoke doctor’s said to self-isolate immediately and contact Interior Health Authority (IH) Public Health at 811 or the new IH COVID Testing and Assessment Clinic at Revelstoke at 250-814-2230 for advice.
On March 18, the province declared a state of emergency due to COVID-19. As of March 23, there are 472 confirmed cases in British Columbia, of which 30 are in the Interior Health region. There are nearly 1,500 cases across Canada and 20 deaths.
Nunavut is the only province/territory without any confirmed cases.
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