Mandatory lockdown needed
B.C. needs a mandatory lockdown, today.
The number of COVID cases in Canada is doubling every three days.
At that rate, every Canadian will have been exposed after just 16 doublings, or 48 days.
Ontario has found that 20 per cent of COVID cases require hospitalization, and 25 per cent of those require an ICU.
Vancouver Island is home to 870,000 people; if one-fifth require hospitalization and a quarter of those an ICU, we should anticipate an influx of 44,000 patients over the next few months.
Island Health has 96 ICU beds and 140 ventilators to meet the demand, and the result can only be a repeat of the horrific situation in Italy.
I urge every business owner, with the exception essential services, to close their doors today.
Non-essential workers must remain at home and self-isolate.
Food stores and pharmacies need to strictly limit the number of people entering the store.
Group size must be limited to two, not 10 or 50.
No one should leave their home except for necessities or for exercise, always maintaining a safe two metre distance from others.
If we can slow the spread of COVID today, we can save thousands of lives.
Mike Ward
Duncan
