A second wave hitting the province has been mentioned during the COVID-19 updates since the first cases appeared back in March.

The minister of health, Dr. John Haggie, says the World Health Organization expects the virus to be around for at least two more years.

On a local level, Dr. Rahmen’s group – the ones conducting the province’s projection models on COVID-19 – and the Public Health Agency of Canada’s predictive analytics both point toward a second wave hitting the province, regardless of public health measures.

Haggie says the more we move around, the more we interact and the sooner the borders open up, the more likely the wave will happen earlier – and the sooner it comes the more probable it is to be larger than smaller.

The Minister of Health says there will be a conversation with the regional health authorities about hospital visits for those with prolonged stays due to illness.

Minister Haggie says the challenge is to do it in a way that respects the needs of the patients, the wishes of the caregiver and concerns around infection prevention and control.

Haggie says there is no easy answer to this, and they’re expecting to see more of these kinds of cases.

It is an evolving situation, Haggie adds, and one that will be around longer than any of us wants.