Imagine going to the hospital in Canada and being told there wasn’t any space for you in the intensive care section in the entire province.
That’s the reality for Manitobans. Due to a devastating wave of COVID-19, intensive care units in Manitoba have become so overrun, patients needed to be sent to northern Ontario to receive care. The variants of COVID-19 spread more easily and are sending more people to the hospital with symptoms.
There are more daily cases of the virus detected in Manitoba, population 1.4 million, than there are in B.C., population 5.1 million.
What’s driving this wave of COVID-19 in some Canadian provinces is up for debate. Are people sick of restrictions and gathering in large groups? Are many people not getting the vaccine?
It’s not easy to say right now, but what we can say is even as some provinces deal with COVID-19 numbers spiking, British Columbians are looking forward to loosening restrictions.
If all went well over the May long weekend, Premier John Horgan will announce the road map for some kind of return to normalcy.
It’s important to stay vigilant, even as the rules are relaxing across the province. While B.C. has avoided a third wave, and more and more people get their first and second doses of the vaccine, the potential for another wave of COVID-19 is lurking.
If we can just keep this up, I look forward to seeing everyone at so many great summer events this year.
READ MORE: B.C. COVID restart plan: Here’s who you can see, and where, as province reopens
Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: cassidy.dankochik@quesnelobserver.com
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cassidy.dankochik@quesnelobserver.com
