What you need to know about COVID-19 in B.C. for Feb. 8
Health officials have now confirmed 40 cases of variants of concern first reported in U.K. and South Africa
THE LATEST:
- Health officials announced 1,236 new cases confirmed over the weekend and 13 more deaths.
- There are now 234 patients in hospital with COVID-19, including 69 in intensive care.
- As of Monday, there are 3,976 active cases in the province.
- A total of 1,259 people have died out of 70,952 confirmed cases in B.C.
- 154,496 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, including 12,111 second doses.
- 25 cases of the variant first found in the U.K. and 15 of the variant reported in South Africa have been confirmed in B.C.
- The current restrictions on social gatherings have been extended indefinitely.
After weeks of choked COVID-19 vaccine supplies, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Monday that she anticipates mass vaccination clinics will begin in March.
First in line will be people over the age of 80, who will receive instructions soon on how to get the shot, Henry said.
Her remarks were part of the first provincial update on the COVID-19 pandemic since Friday. Over the last three days, another 1,236 infections of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed and 13 more people have died.
As of Monday, there are 234 patients in hospital with COVID-19, including 69 in intensive care, out of 3,976 active cases across the province.
To date, there have been 70,952 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in B.C., including 1,259 people who have died.
B.C. has now seen a total of 40 confirmed cases of coronavirus variants of concern, including 25 of the variant first reported in the U.K. and 15 of the variant first reported in South Africa. Henry said all but one of those cases have been connected to travel or close contact with someone who has travelled.
So far, 154,496 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, including 12,111 second doses.
Health officials have said recent numbers are an encouraging sign that the province is slowly bending down the rate of infections, but current restrictions must stay in place to avoid ruining that progress.
Speaking on CBC's The Early Edition earlier on Monday, Health Minister Adrian Dix said there are still between 400 and 500 new cases of COVID-19 being detected daily, while new coronavirus variants being reported across the world are alarming.
"That's an area of concern," Dix said.
"While our vaccine program has gone well ... we aren't going to get enough vaccine in the coming month or so to create any kind of community immunity. So all of those are a reason to extend our controls on gatherings over the next number of weeks."
Events and gatherings still banned
Restaurants and bars held muted Super Bowl celebrations on Sunday, under restrictions that specify diners should be from the same household.
Data released Friday from the latest round of modelling shows the COVID-19 reproductive number hovering around one in every health authority, which means that each case is still leading on average to one other case.
All events and social gatherings remain banned, including in-person religious services, and masks must be worn in indoor public spaces.
Last week, Henry said there's a chance restrictions might change by March, but there is no official expiry date on the extended orders.
"By the end of the month, once again, we can look to having our 'safe six' — our bubble — again," she said.
"I will be continuously reviewing the data that we have to see if we can do it earlier," she continued. "But I want people to start thinking: It's not going to be, 'Yay, we're out of this, we're back to normal.' It's going to be, 'Can we slowly and thoughtfully find an increase in those social connections that we all really want?'"
READ MORE:
- Volunteers with the Steveston Buddhist Temple have folded 1,000 paper cranes to help lift the spirits of health-care workers.
- Teams from the Canadian Red Cross are helping staff and residents at five long-term care facilities in the Lower Mainland.
- A Vancouver man is out on strict bail conditions after being charged with violating public health orders by allegedly hosting dozens of people at a makeshift nightclub in his downtown penthouse.
- Developers of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine expect to have a modified jab to cope with the coronavirus variant first detected in South Africa by autumn.
- Ontario's first case of a highly transmissible COVID-19 variant that originated in Brazil was discovered in Toronto on Sunday.
What's happening elsewhere in Canada
As of 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Canada had reported 804,260 cases of COVID-19, with 44,727 cases considered active.
A total of 20,767 people have died.
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
Common symptoms include:
- Fever.
- Cough.
- Tiredness.
- Shortness of breath.
- Loss of taste or smell.
- Headache.
But more serious symptoms can develop, including difficulty breathing and pneumonia.
What should I do if I feel sick?
Use the B.C. Centre for Disease Control's COVID-19 self-assessment tool. Testing is recommended for anyone with symptoms of cold or flu, even if they're mild. People with severe difficulty breathing, severe chest pain, difficulty waking up or other extreme symptoms should call 911.
What can I do to protect myself?
- Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. Keep them clean.
- Keep at least two metres away from people outside your bubble. Keep your distance from people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Wear a mask in indoor public spaces.
- Be aware of evolving travel advisories to different regions.
More detailed information on the outbreak is available on the federal government's website.