As of 3 pm on April 23, 2020, there were 1824 identified cases in BC. This includes:
• 156 cases in Interior Health
In BC, they announced 71 new cases on Wednesday, followed by 29 new cases yesterday.
Several new outbreaks:
One long term care facility in the Interior (Staff member only, no residents)
Two acute care units in the Lower Mainland
Poultry processing facility in Coquitlam
Every medical clinic in Creston is open for business, and although most of our appointments are made over the phone, we want to be as available for you as we were before. Don’t hesitate to call the clinic for an appointment. I’m attaching a handy guide on how to prepare for a "virtual" meeting with your doctor.
Our Emergency Room is open 24 hours per day for emergencies.
If you don’t have a family physician and have a minor medical problem, please call: 1 855 411 1630
If you have any symptoms to suggest that you might have COVID, call your doctor to arrange for a test. After hours, call the CVH Emergency Room to arrange for a time to have your test done. Do not show up without alerting the ER first!
The reason why we are five weeks into this crisis and still have not had one critically sick patient in the Creston Valley hospital is because of YOU! Creston, you rock. Thank you for abiding by the provincial pleas to stay at home and practise social distancing. THIS is why we are flattening the curve in BC THANKS TO YOU.
The healthcare workers have done a phenomenal job to get ready for whatever comes our way, but we could not have done this without the people of Creston!
We are all hopeful that the restrictions will lessen in the weeks to come. Have patience, and don’t forget the valuable lessons of the benefits of isolation and hand washing, that we’ve learned the past month.
Regarding BC’s partial reopening, Health Minister Adrian Dix says, "It will be as difficult a period as the previous period. Easing up on our efforts too soon makes it too easy for COVID-19. Too easy for it to spread, too easy for it to claim more of our seniors and elders, and too easy for it to undo all of the sacrifices we’ve made together."
Dr. Bonnie Henry reminds us:" We need to be very careful, and we need to be thoughtful about it, and we need to consider what we are doing and how it’s going to impact our family carefully. A misstep in the wrong direction puts us all at risk because we have seen how quickly this virus can take hold."
From the healthcare team to each one of you: thank you for standing by us during this difficult time. We appreciate your pot banging/ bell ringing and the phenomenal YRB/ Firetruck parade at 7 pm at the hospital. The beautiful hearts on your windows warms our hearts. The photos included today do not, by any means, represent our entire staff. We all agree that you deserve a thumbs up, though!
Photo credits to Diane Burnett.
"This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."
Dr. Andy Thompson
After today, the Facebook updates will become more sporadic and, most likely, only when we have something important to share with the public.
Dr. Nerine Kleinhans on behalf of the Creston Valley Physicians and Medical Staff
Dr Nerine Kleinhans
Chief of Staff, Creston Valley Hospital,
Creston, BC