COVID-19 in BC: Update coming with Dr. Bonnie Henry, Health Minister Adrian Dix

BC’s top health officials will give a live COVID-19 update Tuesday, sharing the latest information on the province’s pandemic response.

Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix will speak in the afternoon.

CTVNewsVancouver.ca is streaming the news conference LIVE @ 3 pm

The news conference was initially scheduled for 1:30 pm, but has been delayed 90 minutes. No reason was given for the change in time.

Last week, Henry and Dix’s messaging at a COVID-19 briefing shocked some British Columbians as it appeared the health officials began moving towards treating COVID-19 more like a flu or common cold.

Henry directly addressed people who are extremely clinically vulnerable, ensuring them they would have access to COVID-19 testing and that they should get tested right away if they develop symptoms, so they can access treatment.

But Henry also said it won’t be possible for everyone to avoid the disease entirely.

“We cannot eliminate all risk, and I think that’s something that we need to understand and accept as this virus has changed and has become part of what we will be living with for years to come,” she said on Friday.

Henry said last week her goals in the pandemic remain the same as health officials work to reduce serious illness and death, preserve the health-care system and minimize societal disruption.

“We are clearly not in a place where it’s endemic right now,” she said. “What we are doing is adjusting to the changes that we’ve seen from the new variant.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Penny Daflos