A local state of emergency in Alert Bay could be lifted as early as Friday if the number of new cases of COVID-19 remains low, says Dr. Dan Cutfeet of the 鈥楴amgis Health Centre.
鈥淭he sense is that it will be lifted as of Friday,鈥� said Cutfeet, a family physician. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 served its purpose and so I think we can probably get back to some normalcy.鈥�
The Village of Alert Bay is on Cormorant Island, a 40-minute ferry ride from Port McNeill. The island, which is also home to the 鈥橬amgis First Nations, has a population of about 1,500.
Since April 1, the community has had a total of 30 positive cases of COVID-19, 77 per cent of whom have recovered, Cutfeet said.
Many of those infected presented with gastrointestinal pain and problems, as well as respiratory problems, including shortness of breath, and fevers. Those with hypoxia 鈥� low blood oxygen saturation levels 鈥� were sent to hospital, he said.
Two residents remained at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital on Tuesday.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 had any new cases since the weekend,鈥� Cutfeet said. 鈥淲e could be down to zero probably by Saturday for COVID-19 positive cases.鈥�
The Village of Alert Bay, in co-operation with the 鈥楴amgis First Nation and the Whe-La-La-U Area Council, declared a local state of emergency to address a cluster of cases on Cormorant Island on April 18.
The order involves a curfew and a ban on non-essential travel and is renewed weekly.
Each night a siren sounds at 9 p.m. giving everyone 30 minutes to get home. Those who travel on the ferry for work or essential travel are told not to stop or risk losing their ferry pass.
Officials will meet today to discuss the order and the final decision about whether to lift it will be made by Thursday, said Alert Bay Mayor Dennis Buchanan.
鈥淚 know we鈥檙e going to have to lift the local state of emergency at some point, but we certainly don鈥檛 want to do it too soon,鈥� said Buchanan, who tested positive for the disease and recovered.
Buchanan said he has received a lot of flak over the lockdown, but also credits it for reducing spread of the virus.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a decision that鈥檚 going to take a lot of thought,鈥� he said. 鈥淭o be honest with you, I鈥檇 love to be able to lift it right now, but we can鈥檛 do that until we鈥檙e sure about our numbers and there鈥檚 no more positive tests coming out.鈥�
Cutfeet said the first case took the community by surprise. Even though the pandemic appeared to be 鈥渕arching closer and closer and closer,鈥� spread of the disease had seemed to stall as if there was a border, he said.
He was informed of the first case on April 1. 鈥淎nd then it happened really quickly after that.鈥�
The response from Island Health was swift, Cutfeet said. Charmaine Enns, Island Health medical health officer for the northern region, travelled to Alert Bay to help and testing was open seven days a week.
In total, 14 per cent of the Island鈥檚 population was tested 鈥� 112 were negative and 30 positive, Cutfeet said.
