Restrictions on social distancing may begin to ease this summer, but British Columbians still need to hold the course for the coming weeks, is the message from the provincial health officer.

“I think that this summer, I believe that this summer, we will have opportunities to have way more social connection than we have had in the last month to six weeks,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry Friday, during a press conference on B.C.’s latest epidemiological modelling of COVID-19.

“But we’re not quite there yet. So I’m asking for patience,” she added, warning that the lifting of any measures put in place to mitigate the epidemic in B.C. will be gradual, and likely partial.

In fact, some of the physical distancing measures adopted to help flatten the curve in B.C. will likely be in place until a vaccine has been developed.

Health officials also don’t know if there will be a resurgence of cases during the next flu season in the fall.

“This is not the end for us,” said Henry, quoting Britain’s wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill. “It’s not even the beginning of the end. It is perhaps the end of the beginning.”

And while people will be able to travel again, that likely won’t happen for a year or 18 months, said Henry.

Countries around the globe, including Canada, have restricted their borders or grounded flights in response to COVID-19.

“International travel, the way that we used to think of it, and meetings where we all got together or conferences, those are not going to happen this year,” said Henry.

“Those are not going to happen this year, anywhere in the world. And we’re all looking at this…Italy is reeling, Spain is reeling, the United States is still recovering.”