►
From YouTube: MARCH 22 2021 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
1st Session
42nd Parliament
C
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
The
premier
has
said
that
british
columbians
can
expect
more
flexibility
as
they
are
vaccinated,
but
those
who
are
living
in
seniors
care,
those
who
have
been
vaccinated
are
still
experiencing
the
stress
of
loneliness
and
there
is
significant
concern
about
their
mental
wellness.
C
C
D
Thank
you
very
much,
honourable
speaker,
and
thank
you
to
the
leader
of
the
opposition
for
her
question
one.
She
knows
that
I'm
very
interested
in
and
have
been
working
on
and
the
provincial
health
officer
as
well
as
we
proceeded
with
our
vaccination
plan.
We
made
it
clear
that
changes
were
coming
with
respect
to
visitation
and
long-term
care
and
in
terms
of
activity
in
long-term
care.
Some
of
those
changes
have
already
taken
place
within
long-term
care
facilities,
and
we
will
be
announcing
before
the
end
of
march
the
changes
to
visitation
and
long-term
care.
C
Well,
thank
you
very
much
to
the
health
minister,
and
I
know
that
I
have
expressed
my
thanks
to
him
on
a
number
of
occasions
for
the
number
of
issues
that
he's
tackling,
but
the
issue
of
essential
visitors
has
been
one
that
families
across
british
columbia
have
been
grappling
with
for
months
now.
The
seniors
advocate
has
been
clear
that
the
province
needs
to
change
the
visitation
rules
to
protect
the
mental
health
of
residents.
C
C
Our
most
vulnerable
population
has
suffered
tremendously
over
the
last
year.
No
one
is
asking
for
long-term
care
homes
to
be
thrown
wide.
Open
families
just
want
and
need
to
see
their
loved
ones,
as
cliff
jones
said
whose
mother-in-law
is
in
a
care
home
set,
and
I
quote,
I
call
them
inmates
because
we
feel
that
they
are
in
confinement.
D
It's
why
british
columbia
gave
such
priority
to
vaccination
long-term
care,
vaccination
that
has
been
extraordinarily
successful
and
well
implemented
by
our
teams
of
health
care
workers.
96
of
our
of
our
workers,
95
of
our
residents,
have
received
their
first
those
vaccinations
from
cobit
19.
In
addition,
thousands
of
essential
visitors
have
also
been
immunized
in
order
to
assist
with
their
role
in
long-term
care.
D
I
told
the
member
I
think
specifically
today
is
march
22nd,
that
the
changes
will
be
announced
before
the
end
of
march,
meaning
in
the
next
eight
days,
and
it's
our
hope
that
these
changes
will
return
some
normalcy
in
long-term
care.
I
agree
with
her.
It
can't
be
fully
back
to
normal,
but
obviously
the
provincial
health
officer,
the
ministry
of
health
myself
and
many
many
other
people
want
to
see
this
change
happen.
I
know
the
leader
of
the
opposition
does
and
I
expect
to
be
briefing
on
her
on
it
within
the
next
few
days.
E
E
Not
all
staff
are
choosing
to
vaccinate,
which
is
their
right,
but
it
remains
baffling
as
to
why
the
premier
won't
provide
seniors
with
an
extra
layer
of
protection
by
implementing
widespread
rapid
testing
in
long-term
care
homes.
Will
the
premier
do
the
right
thing
and
ensure
long-term
care
homes
have
all
the
rapid
tests
that
they
need
to
protect
residents.
D
Honorable
speaker,
with
respect
to
visitation
and
long-term
care,
I
think
I
just
answered
that
question
that
seniors
can
expect
to
see
changes.
Residents
and
long-term
care
can
be
seen
expect
to
see
changes
within
the
week.
A
couple
of
weeks
ago,
we
also
announced
changes
to
the
our
approach
to
rapid
testing.
The
member
will
know
that
rapid
testing
has
been
used
in
long-term
care,
but
the
key
testing,
the
gold
standard
testing
that
we
would
all
expect
long-term
care
residents
to
receive
the
pcr
testing
has
been
in
place
for
some
time.
D
I
would
note
to
the
member
that
priority
was
given
to
vaccination
and
long-term
care.
I
think
something
that
she
agrees
with,
and
everyone
agrees
with,
and
the
consequence
of
that
is
there
for
all
to
see.
As
of
today,
there
are
two
long-term
care
outbreaks
in
british
columbia
active.
There
were
42
on
january
15th.
That
shows
the
effectiveness
of
those
measures
and
why
we
are
now
able
to
proceed
with
opening
up
long-term
care
to
more
visits.
E
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker.
Well,
I
don't
know
if
the
minister
of
health
heard
me,
because
I'm
not
just
asking
for
some
rapid
testing,
I'm
asking
for
widespread
rapid
testing.
You
see
headlines
such
as,
and
I
quote-
outbreak
at
kelowna,
long-term
home,
despite
high
uptake
of
immunizations,
and
quotes
serve
as
a
warning.
E
Seniors
have
been
vaccinated,
but
the
virus
is
still
finding
its
way
into
care
homes.
Keeping
our
seniors
in
virtual
lockdown
is
not
the
way
forward,
especially
when,
when
some
simple
steps
the
government
could
take
to
protect
them
is
available.
The
bc
care
providers
have
been
clear,
and
I
quote,
we
have
been
talking
about
the
need
for
some
sort
of
mechanism
to
ensure
that
unvaccinated
workers
do
not
pose
a
risk
to
residents.
This
is
an
area
that
is
still
weak
and
we
need
to
strengthen
it.
End
quote
so
again
to
the
premier.
D
We've
seen
that
in
other
jurisdictions
in
canada,
here
in
british
columbia,
when
rapid
testing
came
to
our
province,
it
was
it
was
to
be
delivered
on
the
advice
of
public
health
officials
and
they
have
done
their
appropriate
job
using
the
gold
standard
pcr
test,
especially
in
long-term
care
and
using
rapid
tests
in
an
expansive
way
as
required.
I
followed
their
advice
on
this
question
and
with
great
respect
to
the
honorable
member
or
others.
I
think
that
is
the
best
approach
to
deal
with
the
issue
of
testing
in
british
columbia.
D
We
are
using
rapid
testing
more
as
we
should.
We
are
continuing
to
depend
on
testing
in
our
response
to
the
pandemic
in
british
columbia,
but
I
think
the
member
would
agree
that
the
impact
of
the
measures
we've
taken
in
long-term
care,
all
of
the
measures
we've
taken
in
long-term
care,
the
single
cycle,
order,
the
infection
prevention
has
meant
that
we
have
had
lower
levels
of
infection
than
almost
any
other
equivalent
jurisdiction
in
north
america.
D
That
does
not
mean
that
we
are
happy
or
satisfied
or
anything
else,
but
it
means
that
our
public
health
officials
have
been
doing
their
absolute
best
in
doing
a
good
job.
Can
we
do
better
absolutely
and
we're
going
to
continue
to
follow
the
guidance
of
public
health
officials
with
respect
to
testing.
F
Thank
you
honorable
speaker.
A
few
weeks
ago,
I
asked
the
minister
of
health
if
we
had
any
information
about
long-haul
covert
rates
in
british
columbia
and
if
so,
where
the
data
was
being
posted
for
the
public.
The
minister
said
information
about
infections
and
recoveries
is
shared
daily,
but
subsequent
follow-up
with
dr
henry
and
the
bccdc
by
the
press
has
clarified
that
we
currently
have
no
idea
what
proportion
of
patients
continue
to
experience
symptoms
months
after
being
diagnosed
other
jurisdictions,
who
are
tracking
and
reporting.
F
This
data
have
found
that
at
least
10
percent,
if
not
closer
to
30
percent
of
covid
patients,
end
up
developing
chronic
symptoms
with
a
rolling
average
of
over
500
and
last
week,
rising
british
columbians
testing
positive
every
day.
This
is
a
huge
blind
spot.
We
could
end
up
with
tens
of
thousands
of
people
needing
long-term
support.
F
My
questions,
for
you,
honourable
speaker,
is
to
the
minister
of
health.
It
is
not
accurate
to
classify
people
as
recovered
if
the
virus
has
caused
them
to
experience
chronic
physical
or
neurological
symptoms.
When,
specifically,
can
british
colombians
expect
government
to
start
reporting
on
rates
of
long-haul
covid
and
what
policy
work
is
being
done
to
ensure
people
with
long
covert
will
get
the
supports?
They
need.
D
I
will
speak
here
every
case
in
british
columbia
is
important.
Every
case
is
followed
and
support
is
provided.
We've
we've
put
in
place
a
number
of
clinics
across
british
columbia
for
people
dealing
with
continuing
conditions
of
covet
19
when
we
refer
to
people
as
being
of
having
their
condition
resolved.
What
we
mean
is
that
they're
no
longer
infectious,
this
has
been
repeated
again
and
again
and
again
and
again
by
dr
henry
and
myself.
That
is
the
meaning
of
that
term.
D
When
we
use
that
term,
but
I
would
say
to
people
that
clovid19
is
a
vicious
virus,
it
doesn't
argue
with
us.
It
can
have
profound
effects,
whether
you're,
25
or
85.
D
We
know
who
has
the
most
severe
effects:
that's
often
people
with
other
medical
conditions
and
our
elders,
but
we
know
that
the
ongoing
effect
of
this
virus
is
can
be
profound.
We
also
know
that
the
virus
has
only
been
around
for
a
little
more
than
a
year,
and
so
we
continue
to
work
with
and
study
extensively,
and
the
number
of
studies
that's
produced
every
day
on
the
subject
and
the
work
done
in
british
columbia
is
is
comprehensive.
D
So
I
would
say
to
the
member
that
I'm
going
to
continue,
as
I
said
in
the
answer,
the
previous
question,
to
rely
on
our
public
health
officials
to
to
ensure
that
information
is
available,
particularly
for
people
this
time
at
this
time
of
high
vulnerability
of
coven
19,
so
that
everyone
understands
the
potential
impact
of
this
virus.
And
everyone
takes
every
step
to
ensure
that
every
step
is
made
to
ensure
that
this
virus
is
not
transmitted.
F
Thank
you,
honourable
speaker,
and
the
health
minister
identifies
that
people
are
being
classified
as
recovered
if
they're
no
longer
infectious,
I
think
there
are
a
lot
of
people
in
british
columbia
who
feel
that
their
ongoing
struggle
with
symptoms
and
them
being
lumped
in
as
recovered
is
not
actually
capturing.
The
experience
that
they're
having
and
they're
wondering
about
what
kind
of
supports
they
will
get
from
a
government
that
isn't
acknowledging
them
in
the
data
and
the
reporting.
F
As
we
know,
covid
longhaul
patients
report
a
wide
variety
of
symptoms,
from
pain
to
brain
fog,
to
memory
problems
and
insomnia,
heart
problems
and
data
from
other
countries
that
are
tracking
long
covet
indicates
that
it
affects
more
women
than
men.
The
minister
speaks
about
being
as
mindful
as
possible,
and
we
saw
last
week
with
case
numbers
rising
and
variants
of
concern
spreading.
F
There
appears
to
be
growing
risk
with
students
going
back
to
classrooms
next
week
and
teachers
not
receiving
vaccinations
until
april,
and
with
a
few
weeks
after
that,
before
immunity
is
conferred
for
teachers,
it's
hard
not
to
be
concerned
about
the
prospect
of
teachers
making
it
to
this
point
in
the
pandemic.
Only
to
be
faced
with
the
potential
for
the
infection
and
long,
my
question
is
to
the
minister
of
health.
D
Honorable
speaker,
I
would
say
to
be
very
clear
to
the
member
and
we
have
been
again
and
again
and
again
on
this
subject,
that
we,
when
we
refer
to
people
having
discontinued
isolation,
it
doesn't
mean
that
the
effects
of
coven
19
are
over
on
a
person,
particularly
about
people
who
are
dealing
with
other
medical
conditions.
D
This
has
been
said
from
the
beginning
to
suggest
and
to
see
us
in
any
ways
the
member
just
did,
but
that
means
that
we
are
not
concerned
about
it.
It's
just
wrong
to
cons
to
say
that
public
health
officials
or
medical
health
officers
aren't
concerned
about
it,
because
we
provide
this
information.
It's
just
incorrect
and
I
just
wanted
to
put
that
clear
clearly
and
on
the
record.
D
This
is
the
one
of
the
most
challenging
times
we
face
in
our
covet
19
pandemic.
We
have
an
immunization
campaign
that
I
think
is
delivering
in
an
effective
way
across
the
province
based
on
the
vaccine
we
have,
as
of
today,
for
example,
in
the
pfizer
vaccine,
440
000
doses
have
been
delivered
to
health
authorities.
D
426
000
of
them
have
been
put
in
people's
arms.
That's
extraordinarily
effective
in
our
vaccination
strategy.
We
laid
out
in
detail
for
the
honorable
member
last
week
and
we're
going
to
continue
to
take
steps
public
health
steps
to
ensure
that
people
are
safe
and
as
safe
as
safe
as
possible
around
british
columbia,
and
I
would
like
to
say
to
everybody
in
british
columbia.
Now
is
the
time
when
we
need
to
continue
to
follow
public
health
orders
and
public
health
guidance
in
every
workplace,
including
schools.
D
We
need
to
follow
robust
public
health
plans
and
covet
19
safety
plans
in
every
workplace.
It's
more
important
now
than
ever,
as
we
see
hope
on
the
horizon.
To
ensure
people
are
protected
in
a
time
of
high
transmission
for
covet
19
and
the
provincial
health
officer
and
the
ministry
of
health
are
going
to
continue
to
deliver
on
that
agenda,
and
I
am
thankful
to
all
british
columbians
who
are
following
that
guidance
to
this
day
and
beyond.
Thank
you.
G
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
New
child
care
regulations
come
into
effect
on
april
1st.
They
will
be
responsible
for
the
loss
of
thousands
of
child
care
spaces.
The
changes
will
make
many
providers
ineligible
for
government
funding,
and
this
will
result
in
less
spaces
for
parents
as
a
provider
in
surrey.
Just
told
me
as
a
result
of
this
sudden
change,
we
feel
helpless
and
face
economic
ruin
as
we
watch
our
life
savings
disappear
because
our
dream
to
develop
a
child
care
center
with
over
a
hundred
new
spaces
has
turned
into
a
nightmare.
H
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker,
and
thanks
to
the
opposition
member
for
this
very
important
question,
which
we
need
to
remember
that
our
government
introduced
the
fee
reduction
program
when
we
became
government
in
2017
and
2018
introduced
the
child
care
budget
with
over
three
dozens
of
initiatives
to
bring
affordable
quality,
inclusive
child
care
to
bc.
H
So
this
program
again
honorable
speaker,
is
to
ensure
that
we
can
pass
the
savings
and
the
fee
reduction
for
bc
families.
We
are
proud
of
the
progress
that
we've
made
to
bring
affordable
child
care
to
bc.
Families,
after
years
and
years
of
neglect
of
the
child
care
crisis
by
the
member
opposite
and
the
former
liberal
government.
G
I
would
like
to
remind
the
minister
that
this
government
now
is
the
previous
government,
and
there
comes
a
point
where
blaming
things
from
prior
to
your
being
here
echoes
hollow,
and
this
is
the
time
a
new
report
was
just
released
and
highlighted.
The
bc
has,
unlike
what
I
just
heard,
some
of
the
highest
child
care
fees
in
british
columbia,
and
that
is
because
there
are
not
enough
spaces.
G
This
government
is
failing
for
years.
This
ndp
government
has
promised
ten
dollar
a
day
daycare
and
more
spaces,
but
what
they're
doing
right
now
is
the
opposite.
Parents
are
paying
more,
and
now
providers
are
cancelling
a
number
of
spaces
that
they
had
on
the
books
to
open
this
government's
april.
1
changes
are
directly
responsible
for
putting
2
100
spaces
on
hold
at
c
for
early
learning
alone,
so
the
premier
will
he
pause
the
april
1
changes
and
sit
down
with
these
child
care
providers.
H
Again,
I
need
to
remember
to
remind
the
member
opposite
that
our
fee
reduction
program
has
over
90
percent
of
providers
joining
this
program
and
passing
on
the
savings
to
tens
and
thousands
of
bc
families
and
already
in
three
and
a
half
years,
we
already
have
over
36
000
families
benefiting
from
10
a
day,
child
care
or
less,
and
we
have
a
salary,
have
been
accelerating
the
creation
of
spaces.
We
have
never
accelerated
creation
of
spaces
in
bc's
history.
H
B
A
A
To
this
point,
mr
speaker,
they
they've
delivered
approximately
4
000
in
four
years,
4
000
spaces
that
actually
have
kids
in
them.
This
is
a
government
that
promised
to
deliver
universal
10
a
day
child
care
and,
mr
speaker,
that
promise
is
missing
in
action.
Now
the
latest
policy
choices
of
this
government,
which
take
effect
on
april.
The
first
are
also
going
to
serve
to
significantly
reduce
the
number
of
new
spaces
that
come
online
and
increase
costs
for
parents.
H
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker.
I
am
glad
that
the
member
talked
about
space
creation
and
let
me
remind
the
member
opposite
that
we
have
been
accelerating
the
creation
of
spaces
across
bc,
communities
the
fastest
ever
in
bcc
street,
and
let
me
put
that
in
perspective
honorable
speaker
that
we
have
been
creating
spaces
again.
H
Over
20
000
spaces
have
been
funded
in
three
and
a
half
short
years,
and
that
is
over
four
and
a
half
times
more
child
care
spaces
that
the
former
bc
liberal
government
has
ever
funded
in
their
last
four
years
in
government,
and
we
definitely
definitely
have
more
work
to
do
honorable
speaker
to
make
sure
more
parents
can
return
to
work.
After
again
years
of
the
child
care
chaos
that
was
neglected
by
the
previous
government.
We
need
to
make
sure
we
need
to
accelerate
the
creation
of
spaces.
H
We
are
well
on
target
and
I
definitely
have
more
good
news
coming
in
the
coming
weeks
to
make
sure
that
every
single
week,
every
single
month
we
are
creating
spaces
and
those
spaces
are
coming
into
operation
in
across
bc,
communities
and
speaking
of
the
fee
reduction
program.
Again,
90
of
providers
joining
this
very
important
program.
We
need
to.
H
A
Mr
speaker,
well,
this
is
beginning
to
sound
like
the
ndp's
housing
program.
You
know
where
they
talk
about
these
tens
of
thousands
of
spaces,
tens
of
thousands
of
units
which
have
been
created
around
the
province.
The
only
catch
is
there's
no
people
in
them.
There's
no
people
in
them.
Mr
speaker,
less
than
4
000
new
child
care
spaces
have
actually
opened
up
in
the
last
four
years
under
this
government.
That's
a
terrible
record,
mr
speaker,
jennifer
radcliffe
is
a
mother
of
three
children
and
she's.
Also
the
owner
of
a
child
care
center
in
south
surrey.
A
Jennifer
writes,
and
I
quote,
I
have
spoken
to
several
daycare
owners
who
have
cancelled
expansions
at
pebble
lane
I
get
six
or
seven
calls
daily
from
parents
looking
for
care,
it's
heartbreaking
having
to
turn
them
away.
I
find
it
greatly
disheartening
that
the
government
would
do
this.
You
are
going
to
crush
the
careers
of
so
many
women.
End
quote
so
again.
My
question
to
the
premier
is
this:
will
the
premier
pause
these
changes
on
april
1st?
H
H
They
want
to
see
a
level
playing
field
when
they
are
joining
our
fee
reduction
program,
passing
up
to
350
dollar
savings
to
parents
and
those
savings
means
a
lot
to
parents.
That's
focus
on
the
parents,
honorable
speaker,
that
350
dollars
means
that
a
lot
of
family
have
shared
that
they
can
put
better
food,
healthier
food
on
the
table.
H
Making
sure
they
can
pay
for
their
daily
expenses
and
we
want
to
ensure
those
savings
are
passed
to
parents,
and
that
is
why
we
have
set
the
new
policy
to
make
sure
there's
a
level
playing
field
for
current
providers
and
set
their
fees
at
seven
percent
as
the
other
seventy
percent
of
providers
in
their
community.
Thank
you.
I
H
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker.
I
hope
the
member
opposite
has
heard
my
previous
answers
that
we
have
been
delivering
10
a
day
child
care
to
over
36
000
families
in
this
province,
and
there
are
more
and
more
families
that
are
benefiting
from
low
or
cost
child
care.
We
have
brought
down
the
cost
of
child
care
for
this
province
and
bc
families
through
our
three
initiatives.
Again,
we
have
three
dozens
of
new
initiatives,
including
three
major
affordability
measures.
H
That
can
benefit
from
10
a
day
and
up
to
the
income
of
a
hundred
and
eleven
thousand
benefiting
a
lot
of
middle
income
families,
and
we
also
have
the
prototype
site
that
are
testing
how
universal
child
care
look
like,
and
we
already
are
getting
a
lot
of
positive
results
from
families
sharing
that
they
can
return
to
work,
especially
mothers
who
have
historically
struggled
with
child
care
that
we
have
encouraged
and
supported
a
lot
of
more
parents
and
women
to
return
to
the
workforce.
And
we
will
continue
to
do
the
work.
B
H
I
I
H
Thank
you
very
much,
honourable
speaker.
I
know
bc
families
and
bc.
Parents
have
been
struggling
with
high
calls
of
child
care
and
as
a
parent
with
a
young
child
myself.
I
know
that
struggle
and
I
know
how
that
struggle
is
like,
as
I
continue
to
struggle
with
my
own
child
care,
and
while
it
is
very
encouraging
to
hear
the
member
opposite
asking
so
many
questions
about
child
care.
That's
remember.
H
We
already
have
been
funded
to
20
000
spaces
across
the
province,
and
we
already
have
36
000
families
that
have
been
benefiting
from
10
a
day,
child
care
and
with
10
thousands
or
more
families
have
seen
a
reduction
in
their
fees
and,
at
the
same
time,
we
are
building
a
comprehensive
system,
an
honorable
speaker
that
we
are
supporting
early
childhood
educators,
who
are
the
workforce
behind
the
workforce
to
make
sure
they
get
a
wage
enhancement.
There's
a
lot
more
work
to
do,
but
I'm
proud
of
the
progress
we
have
made
today.
Thank
you.