British Columbia health officials have reported 2,146 new cases – including 29 in Island Health – and 49 deaths from COVID-19 over the past 72 hours.
The number of confirmed cases in B.C. climbs to 42,943 while the province’s death toll now stands at 647.
From Friday to Saturday there were 698 new cases, from Saturday to Sunday there were 689 new cases and from Sunday to today (Dec. 14) there were 759 new cases.
Of the new cases, 1,474 were recorded in Fraser Health, 300 in Vancouver Coastal Health, 29 in Island Health, 250 in Interior Health, and 91 in Northern Health. Two cases were in people who live outside of Canada.
There are currently 10,039 active cases in the province, 359 people in hospital — 87 of whom are in intensive care — and 11,177 people under active public health monitoring due to possible exposure to an identified case.
There are also 55 active outbreaks at long-term care and assisted living facilities and seven at acute care facilities involving 1,305 residents and 726 staff.
On a positive note, 31,207 people in B.C. have recovered from COVID-19.
Dr. Bonnie Henry, the province’s provincial health officer, said during the update on Monday that “we have had far too many people die from COVID-19” this weekend.
“The number of people who have died and the number of families and care providers who have lost loved ones as part of their communities over this past weekend is a tragedy that all of us feel,” she said.
“This is loss is a massive loss in my view and I think in everyone’s view,” added Adrian Dix, the province’s health minister.
Henry later called the province’s latest death toll heartbreaking.
“What we see today in the numbers . . . breaks my heart every time a single person passes away from the virus,” an emotional Henry said.
Island Health
There are currently 90 active cases – 32 on southern Vancouver Island, 40 on central Vancouver Island and 18 on northern Vancouver Island.
Over the course of the pandemic, the Island Health region has reported 787 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Of those 256 are in the south Island, 356 are in the central Island, and 175 are in the north Island.
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Southern Vancouver Island includes the Greater Victoria region, Southern Gulf Islands and the Port Renfrew area.
Central Vancouver Island includes the Cowichan Valley, Duncan, Nanaimo, Parksville, Port Alberni and Tofino areas.
Northern Vancouver Island goes from the Comox Valley to Port Hardy but also includes surrounding areas like Alert Bay and Sointula.
Vaccines have arrived in British Columbia
Dr. Henry, during Monday’s update, said the very first shipments of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine arrived in the province yesterday night.
“Teams now are doing their final preparations to start our immunizations in our clinics tomorrow,” she said. “What this means is that we now have a safe and effective vaccine that has been approved for use here in Canada and is available here in British Columbia.”
“This is momentous news and the first step in our path to protecting people most at risk in our communities and taking the pressure off our healthcare system.”
Henry explained that the vaccines will be given to individuals at two sites on the Lower Mainland – one site in Fraser Health and one site in Vancouver Coastal Health – later this week and that by next week the vaccine will be available
“Wit the supply we are expecting to receive, the vaccine will be available in every health authority across the province,” she said. “I can’t tell you how exciting this is.”
The new Pfizer and the yet-to-be approved Moderna vaccine will require individuals to receive two doses, but that they cannot be given at the same time.
Henry said the minimum interval between the first and second dose is 19 days and the recommended interval is 21 to 28 days.
“You can’t give them too close together or the immune system doesn’t recognize them as two different doses and you don’t get that boosting response,” she said.
As a result, British Columbia and other provinces in Canada are planning to vaccinate as many people as possible with the first shipments they receive.
Henry said B.C. has shipments arriving next week as well as the week after and that those first shipments of vaccines will be given as first doses to as many people as possible.
“Our intent to right now is to give them all as first doses and then give second doses once we start receiving the vaccine in January,” she said.
British Columbia is currently at “peak risk” when it comes to COVID-19 transmission within the community, said Henry, adding that her priority is to protect as many people as possible with the first dose of the vaccine.
“I have a real challenge leaving vaccine in a fridge when there are so many people at risk right now,” she said.
Nicholas Pescod
April Lawrence
