SURREY, sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ — Preparations are underway to help British Columbia fight any potential surges in COVID-19 this fall.
Health Minister Adrian Dix says the COVID-19 pandemic has not ended and he's urging people to continue to stay safe and ensure they have been vaccinated.
Dix says the number of people in hospital in sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ with COVID-19 continues to decline but that isn't the case in other jurisdictions.Â
The minister made the comments at a news conference announcing the government is seeking proposals to build a new hospital and cancer centre in Surrey. Â
Dix says there are currently no immediate plans to return to a provincewide mask mandate.
He says it's unclear what the COVID infection rate will look like this fall, but they're preparing for a possible spike in respiratory illnesses.Â
"So, no option is ever excluded. Right now we see overall the level of hospitalizations coming down for COVID-19, but we also see other places in the world with real challenges."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2022.
The Canadian Press