By Laura Keil
Modelling released May 4th by the BC government shows the projected outcomes of different degrees of social distancing, as the Province mulls relaxing restrictions.
It shows that keeping social contact at 40 per cent of normal will continuously lower the infection rate. Keeping social contact at 60 per cent of normal (reducing by 40 per cent) will mean new cases and COVID-19 hospitalizations increase slowly. At 80%, cases and hospitalizations both peak.
The Province was scheduled to announce its official plan to relax restrictions later this week. It also released risk factors that led to more serious COVID-19 symptoms and fatalities: being male, over the age of 50 and having at least one chronic condition. Nearly three quarters of those who have died have been male, and two thirds of those hospitalized.
