The City of Prince George has released a statement regarding the global coronavirus outbreak this morning (March 6).
As of yesterday (March 5), there have been 21 presumptive cases of COVID-19 in B.C., but none have been reported within the Northern Health region.
With the 2020 World Women's Curling Championships starting at the CN Centre next Saturday (March 14), which is welcoming 13 countries for the event, including a team from China where the virus originated, the city says its working with organizers to ensure the health and safety of athletes, patrons and facilities.
The following is the city's official statement about COVID-19 released to the public today:
The City of Prince George has been in regular conversation with Northern Health about the most reliable sources of information on novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and any assistance the City can provide residents and visitors with reliable information about measures that can be taken to prevent the spread and stay healthy.
Health officials have indicated that the spread of various illnesses – ranging from colds and flu to COVID-19 – can be prevented if people stay home when sick, properly wash their hands, and disinfect surfaces that are frequently touched (such as door knobs, phones, keyboards, and hand-rails). More information is available from the BC Centre for Disease Control: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/coronavirus-(novel).
As the operator of many facilities that attract large numbers of people, the City is also working to double-down on providing public information in all civic venues. Health information from accurate and regularly updated sources, such as the BC Centre for Disease Control, is also being shared by the City on its social media channels.
One of the City’s facilities is CN Centre, which will be hosting the 2020 World Women’s Curling Championship starting on March 14. As the organizers of the event, Curling Canada and the World Curling Federation have been working with officials from a variety official health agencies for guidance to help ensure a safe and healthy event. The organizers further report that teams competing in the WWCC are already in Canada training and acclimatizing. In fact, Team China has been outside of China for the last six months and training in Europe and Scotland.
B.C. schools have also been advised to cancel all trips that involve international travel for the time-being.
Canada also recently issued a travel advisory to Iran as a result of the outbreak.
