With many eyes watching the spread of coronavirus—and 12 positive cases in B.C. as of March 3—Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) is reassuring the public that the risk to Canadians is low, and there is no identified spread of the virus in the region.
Four individuals who tested positive in the Vancouver Coastal Health region have now fully recovered, according to VCH.
Locally, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) is monitoring the situation closely with VCH, and a conference call was planned for Wednesday, March 4 to share the latest information with Tourism Whistler and Whistler Blackcomb.
"We are taking our direction from VCH. They are the lead and responsible in dealing with public health risks," said chief administrative officer Mike Furey.
"I think it's important that community members have accurate and timely information, and I would recommend to them to go to VCH's website."
Find the latest on coronavirus at www.vch.ca/about-us/news/vancouver-coastal-health-statement-on-coronavirus.
Asked if there are any plans in place in the event of a coronavirus outbreak in Whistler, both the RMOW and VCH deferred to the provincial ministry of health.
"The province has been planning for many weeks to ensure readiness in the event of a COVID-19 related pandemic," a ministry spokesperson said in an email.
"Plans for Whistler are like many other communities throughout the province and we're actually planning to release a wider range of information very soon."
