Data, not protests, informs public health orders and mandates, B.C. health officials say

This weekend, protesters descended upon cities across the country demanding an end to vaccine mandates and public health restrictions after two years of pandemic living. 

Five people were arrested for actions related to either the main protest or the counter protest, Vancouver police say, after officers responded to rocks and eggs being thrown, cars being kicked, and nails being strewn on roadways. Police say the rally formed a gridlock in the city, and Emergency Health Services had to bring in extra staff.

But those protests, no matter how disruptive, won't change public health policies, according to B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix. 

Those decisions are made by public health leaders, who are informed by the current COVID-19 data. 

"We all know Dr. [Bonnie] Henry, but she has a whole team of people around her who make those decisions based on responding to the pandemic, which changes and has changed over the last two years," Dix told The Early Edition's host, Stephen Quinn. 

Dr. Patricia Daly, chief medical health officer for Vancouver Coastal Health, said public health officials are "completely focused on the data" with respect to COVID-19 as well as the impact the virus is having on the population and the impact of restrictions. She said the protests are "not part of the equation" when deciding whether to lift or modify restrictions. 

"The decisions made in B.C. and elsewhere in Canada by public health officials are always made in the best interests of the public," she said.  

Dix said, in fact, it's the people who continue to follow public health guidelines who should be thanked for any lifting or easing of restrictions — not the people protesting.

"If we make changes on restrictions, those are changes brought about by all of those people in B.C. who are wearing masks and taking care of one another," he added.

Stress on health-care workers

Last week, Vancouver Coastal Health and Providence Health advised staff not to wear anything identifying themselves as health-care workers out of concern for their safety. In Ottawa, which has become the hub for the protest movement, health-care workers have reported being harassed by protesters. 

"We, of course, always respect people's right to protest, but our concern is both for the patients and clients that we serve," Daly said Monday. 

She said the protests are causing stress for staff, particularly because it's such a vast change from the early days of the pandemic when people were publicly celebrating front-line workers. 

"I think people need to remember those of us who have been on the front line of this since the start — we're still there," Daly said.

"We're trying to obviously prevent the spread of COVID 19, continue to provide care for all the things that we do at Vancouver Coastal Health."

Restrictions set to expire

Restrictions around gathering sizes are set to expire on Feb. 16, and Dix says the province is currently on track to see those eased or lifted.

He says test positivity is declining, as well as hospitalizations. 

"We're seeing some signs of relenting."

He said officials are still treading with caution, as more than 900 people remain in hospital with the virus.