Monday August 30, 2021 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc., Editor | Island Social Trends
A high number of new COVID-19 cases were recorded in BC over the past weekend: 1,853 cases were test-positive from Friday to Monday: 769 Aug 27-28, 581 Aug 28-29, and 503 Aug 29-30.
The Delta variant is being found to be the COVID strain responsible for all or nearly all cases.
Here on Vancouver Island there were 178 new cases over those three days, with 587 cases currently active.
Among the active cases on Vancouver Island, there were 14 new cases over the weekend among children up to age 9, as well as 27 cases in youth ages 10 to 19. Among young adults there were 47 new cases in people in their 20s, and 32 new cases among people in their 30s.
On Vancouver Island 595,605 people have received two doses of COVID vaccine. Most of the people who are now fully vaccinated (i.e. have received two doses) have received the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine (70.5%), along with Moderna mRNA vaccine (27.7%) and AstraZeneca viral vector type (1.8%).
Island Health is currently dealing with a COVID outbreak at the Sunset Lodge long term care facility in Victoria, where 24 cases (11 staff and 13 residents) have tested positive.
The positivity rate in Island Health is 5.2.
There are 13 people in hospital in Island Health, with 10 of those patients in more serious condition in the ICU. There have been 286 hospitalizations in Island Health, pandemic-to-date.
Total cases during the pandemic to date in Island Health is 6,413, of which 5,748 have recovered.
Today Island Health saw two deaths due to COVID, bringing the island total to 45 in the pandemic to date. Four of the total deaths have occurred between May 30 and today.
Pandemic to date:
The first COVID cases were seen in Wuhan China in December 2019.
BC Health began their COVID media briefings in January 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic was officially declared in BC on March 17, 2020.
Pandemic to date there have been 165,413 test-positive cases in BC, along with 8,672 hospitalizations and 1,814 deaths (seven of those in the last 3 days).
===== COVID Links (provided by government):
For the provincial health officer’s order on masks in public indoor settings, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/25217
For the Aug. 23, 2021, announcement on proof of vaccination in B.C., visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/25211
For the Aug. 12, 2021, announcement on mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for long-term care workers, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/25143
For new health measures in the central Okanagan, visit:
https://www.interiorhealth.ca/AboutUs/MediaCentre/NewsReleases/Documents/IB_COVID_Outbreak_6%20August.pdf
For information on breakthrough cases, visit: http://news.gov.bc.ca/files/7-27_breakthrough_cases.pdf
Or see the BC Centre for Disease Control’s (BCCDC) weekly data summary: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/data#summary
Detailed data is posted daily on the BCCDC dashboard: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/data
Or: www.bccdc.ca
To register to be immunized or to learn about getting your second dose, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vaccine/register
Or: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vaccine/dose-2
To learn about BC’s Restart plan, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/info/restart
For recent modelling, visit: http://news.gov.bc.ca/files/6-28_PHO_presentation.pdf
For the provincial health officer’s orders and guidance, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/office-of-the-provincial-health-officer/current-health-topics/covid-19-novel-coronavirus
For guidance on restrictions, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/covid-19-provincial-support/restrictions
The latest updates, including case counts, prevention, risks and to find a testing centre near you: http://www.bccdc.ca/
Or follow @CDCofBC on Twitter.
For COVID-19 exposure events, updates and information, visit:
* BCCDC: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/public-exposures
* Fraser Health: fraserhealth.ca/covid19exposure
* Interior Health: https://news.interiorhealth.ca/news/public-exposures/
* Island Health: https://www.islandhealth.ca/learn-about-health/covid-19/data-outbreaks-facilities
* Northern Health: https://www.northernhealth.ca/health-topics/outbreaks-and-exposures * Vancouver Coastal Health: http://www.vch.ca/covid-19/public-exposures