B.C. has seen 1,462 new cases of COVID-19 and 11 deaths from the virus in the past three days, as variant cases spiked by 144 cases over the weekend.
On Friday, there were 250 total variant cases, that number as of today is 394, with 87 of those cases active. There have been 363 cases of the B.1.1.7 U.K. variant and 31 of the B.1.351 South African variant.
“The trend continues in that about a quarter of these cases, we do not know exactly how they were transmitted, which tells us that these variants are some of the viruses that are being transmitted in our communities,” Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry said.
Today’s new cases include 79 in Interior Health. There were also 802 new in Fraser Health, 407 in Vancouver Coastal Health, 102 in Northern Health and 72 in Island Health.
There are now 4,854 active cases of COVID-19 across B.C., with 240 people in hospital and 66 people in critical care. Active cases and hospitalizations are down modestly from Friday’s update, while critical care patients is the same.
Meanwhile, now more than 333,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered, including just under 87,000 second doses.
Henry also says an outbreak at the Cottonwood Care Centre in Kelowna has seen some people get COVID-19 despite getting both doses of a COVID vaccine. Interior Health declared the outbreak yesterday with two staff members and 10 residents affected at this time.
“This serves to remind us that while we are very confident that vaccine is very effective and prevents particularly severe illness and death doesn’t necessarily mean that all transmission will be stopped,” she said. “We need to be mindful right now, when we still have high levels of transmission in our communities, how important it is to continue those precautions, particularly with older people and insure homes.”
Henry also is asking people not yet eligible to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment to “please be patient and wait your turn.” She says everyone will get their vaccine, and by calling if you are outside the age group will not speed up your turn.
Vaccine bookings opened today for people in the province aged 90 and older and Indigenous residents aged 65 and older. That’s about 82,000 people, but the province says in the first three hours of phone lines opening for vaccine appointments, it received 1.7 million calls.
And Henry also suggested there could be a some sort of a return to outdoor gatherings and even the possibility of some travel within the province during Spring Break, though she says the province will be taking a thoughtful, careful and phased approach when it comes to easing restrictions.
