What you need to know about COVID-19 in B.C. for Dec. 15

THE LATEST:

• B.C. has administered its first COVID-19 vaccines.
• Canada is expected to receive 168,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine by the end of December.
• There were 21 new deaths related to COVID-19 on Monday.
• 522 new cases of the virus were also confirmed that day.
• There are 9,860 active cases of COVID-19 across the province.
• 361 patients are in hospital, with 93 in intensive care.
• B.C. lifts restrictions on low-intensity indoor group exercise.
• Fraser Health declares outbreak at Burnaby Hospital.
• Restrictions on social gatherings remain in place until Jan. 8.
• Residents can only socialize with their household and should travel only if it is essential.

B.C. administered the first COVID-19 vaccines in the province today, a "monumental" move in the province's fight against COVID-19, B.C.'s provincial health officer said.

Nisha Yunus, a 64-year-old residential care aide, became the first person in the province to be immunized. She received the shot shortly after 1 p.m. PT at an undisclosed vaccination site in the Vancouver Coastal Health region.

Yunus has worked for 41 years as a residential care aide. She has worked on the same unit and floor of a Vancouver Coastal Health facility for that entire time, providing care to seniors.

Yunus said in a statement it was an honour and privilege to receive the province's first vaccine. "I am so grateful. It feels like a dream came true," she said.

The shipment of 3,900 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which arrived in B.C. on Sunday night, will go to health-care workers and long-term care staff. They'll be administered at two vaccination sites in the Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health regions.

The vaccine will be available next week in every health authority across B.C. as the province opens more sites. The province is aiming to immunize 400,000 people by the end of March 2021. 

21 more deaths, 522 new cases

The rollout of vaccines comes as the province continues to document record-high hospitalizations and deaths. B.C. reported 21 new deaths on Monday and 522 new cases. 

A total of 361 people are in hospital, with 93 in intensive care. There are 9,860 active cases in the province, and more than 10,768 people are currently under public health monitoring. 

Dr. Bonnie Henry reiterated Tuesday that it will take several months for a vaccine to curb community transmission.

She said the vaccine is "the first step in our path to protecting people most at risk in our communities and taking the pressure off our health-care system, so that care is available for all of us."

• Click here for more information about the COVID-19 vaccine in B.C.

Moderna vaccine 

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada could receive 168,000 doses of another promising vaccine, from Massachusetts-based Moderna, by the end of the month.

Health Canada regulators are in the final stages of the review process for this vaccine. A final decision on authorization could come as early as this week.

Trudeau said deliveries are slated to begin within 48 hours of Health Canada's authorization.

Outbreak at Burnaby Hospital

Fraser Health has declared a new outbreak at Burnaby Hospital, one of the region's busiest hospitals, following evidence of COVID-19 transmission in its medicine unit.

Three patients have tested positive so far for the virus.

The health authority says the outbreak is limited to the medicine unit, which is temporarily closed the admissions.The rest of the hospital, including the emergency department, remains fully operational.

The hospital suffered an outbreak last month that left at least 10 people dead. More than 100 patients and staff tested positive. The first outbreak was declared over last Friday. 

Some group indoor exercises are back

B.C. health officials have lifted restrictions on low-intensity indoor group exercise — allowing activities like barre, low-intensity Pilates and tai chi to resume once more.

In order to resume these classes, operators are told they must revise their COVID-19 safety plans with updated guidelines, which include: 

• Physical distancing of 2.5 metres between each patron in all directions at all times.
• Outer doors and windows left open or partially open at all times, where possible.
• Discontinuing the use of floor and wall fans.
• Arranging staggered arrival and departure times to reduce bottlenecks.

High-intensity indoor group exercises like spin, circuit training and interval training continue to be prohibited under public health orders. 

60 cases linked to Big White resort

A cluster of COVID-19 cases linked to Big White ski resort near Kelowna, B.C., has grown to 60 confirmed cases, according to the Interior Health Authority.

The spread of the disease in the mountain community is mostly due to shared housing and people socializing with one another, health officials said Tuesday in a statement.

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Approximately 600 people are employed by the resort this season. A resort spokesperson said many of them are under the age of 30, and away from home for possibly the first time.

Interior Health conducted 140 tests at the ski resort over the course of two days, focusing on people living in large households even if they were asymptomatic, said medical health officer Dr. Silvina Mema.

Northern Health hits new record for COVID-19 positivity

Northern British Columbia has set a new record for COVID-19 positivity in the province, with a seven-day average of 10.6 positives for every 100 tests conducted.

It's the highest rate recorded by any health region in British Columbia since the pandemic began, with Fraser Health topping out at a positivity rate of 9.2 in November.

Northern Health also continues to have the highest rate of COVID-19 patients in critical care in B.C.

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As of Monday afternoon, 18 of 87 critical care patients in B.C. were from northern B.C. The region, which has six per cent of B.C.'s population, accounted for more than twenty per cent of critical care patients.

"The ICU itself is running almost double its normal capacity," said Dr. Lovedeep Khara, who works in the critical care ward of UNHBC. "It's reaching a breaking point if we don't slow down."

READ MORE:

• The majority of people surveyed by B.C. researchers say they are willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
• Promised pandemic pay is still pending for some front-line workers in B.C..
• A grandmother died on the phone with her daughter after a COVID outbreak hit her care home in Oliver, B.C.
• Teck Resources has confirmed 25 cases of COVID-19 at its sites in East Kootenay.
• Dr. Bonnie Henry is asking families to make smart choices this holiday season — but that can mean different things to different people.
• Police in Chilliwack say they have recommended charges against three churches that have held in-person worship, contravening provincial health orders.
• While some charities are seeing a rise in volunteers and donations, pandemic restrictions have made the work of others more challenging.
• As a holiday season unlike any other approaches, British Columbians who have been living alone throughout the pandemic have some tips for how to make the best of what can be a lonely situation.
• All your questions about the COVID-19 vaccine in B.C. answered here.

What's happening elsewhere in Canada

As of 10 p.m. PT on Monday, Canada's COVID-19 case count stood at 468,862.

A CBC News tally of deaths based on provincial reports, regional health information and CBC's reporting stood at 13,552.