The B.C. government is ready to use emergency powers to curb price-gouging or restrict travel between communities if the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) intensifies.
In the meantime, the province says it’s developing a response plan that could be fully operational in the next 10 days that would not necessarily require it to tap into powers granted under the Emergency Program Act and the Public Health Act.
The province’s response plan focuses on four factors: protecting the population, protecting vulnerable citizens, protecting health workers and supporting health-care capacity.
The province has been in contact with grocery chain stores and is monitoring supply chains in the event of shortages, but it so far isn’t anxious about British Columbians’ access to the basics.
The response plan would also reduce the number of visitors to senior care facilities as well as screen visitors — steps typically taken during the winter influenza season.
The province is also managing and co-ordinating medical supplies for hospitals as well as community and primary care centres to the point it’s tracked down the location of every ventilator in B.C.
But it’s unclear at what exact point the province would use enact all of its plans or tap into emergency powers, as the virus is expected to spread gradually and may only require emergency powers to be used in specific communities.
The framework of the plan is based on the province’s influenza pandemic plan, save for the deployment of vaccines and anti-virals since no treatments for COVID-19 currently exist.
