Provincial health officer rescinds orders for COVID-19
CANADA, July 26 - On March 17, 2020, Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer (PHO), declared a public-health emergency for B.C. related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In deciding to end the public-health emergency and those associated emergency powers in the Public Health Act, the PHO has determined the actions outlined under the public-health emergency, such as mandatory vaccinations for health-care workers, are no longer immediately necessary to protect public health from significant harm and there is no longer need to avoid or mitigate an immediate and significant risk to public health.
More specifically, the PHO must find evidence for two of these criteria to exist under Section 52 of the Public Health Act and has determined they no longer do:
a. The regional event could have a serious impact on public health.
b. The regional event is unusual or unexpected.
c. There is a significant risk of the spread of an infectious agent or a hazardous agent.
d. There is a significant risk of travel or trade restrictions as a result of the regional event.
Public Health Act
British Columbia’s Public Health Act provides a framework for managing current and emerging public-health issues, including communicable disease prevention and control, health promotion and protection.
- It gives the minister of health and public health officials important tools, including broad powers to issue orders necessary to respond to public-health emergencies.
- A situation qualifies as a provincial public-health emergency when at least two of the following conditions are met:
- The event could have a serious impact on public health.
- The event is unusual or unexpected.
- There is a significant risk of the spread of an infectious agent or a hazardous agent.
- There is a significant risk of travel or trade restrictions as a result of the regional event.
Learn More:
The latest orders and directives from the provincial health officer can be found here:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/office-of-the-provincial-health-officer/current-health-topics
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