Friday March 19, 2021 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc., Editor | Island Social Trends
Today’s new COVID-19 case count of 737 in BC and nearly 9,500 people in isolation due to exposure to the virus show that the public health immunization rollout is in a race against time as the variants of concern (particularly B.1.1.7) grab hold within the COVID-19 test-positive profile.
This week Provincial Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry said that the more transmissible B.1.1.7 (UK) variant is beginning to ‘replace’ the original virus in the case stats, i.e. an increasing number of cases (even in a consistent daily case profile) are comprised of the B.1.1.7 virus.
As people are out and about in the community there is “less room for error” as Dr Henry puts it — people need to continue to diligently follow the public health protocols that are known to protect people (i.e. wearing a mask in all indoor spaces or when closer than 2 metres to another person, consistent physical distancing, socializing only with one’s own household, frequent handwashing, and staying home if not feeling well).
There have been 68 new confirmed COVID-19 cases that are variants of concern in BC today, for a total of 1,200 cases. Of that total, 149 cases are active; the total of variants is comprised of 1,094 cases of B.1.1.7 (U.K.), 41 cases of B.1.351 (South Africa), and 65 cases of P.1 (Brazil).
COVID-19 dashboard for BC at March 19, 2021 showing daily case counts from Nov 2020 to present [BC CDC]
Hospitalizations:
More people are in hospital (292) today than any day this week, with the number of people in serious condition in ICU still high at 85 (approximately the same number Tuesday-Thursday). Total hospitalizations pandemic-to-date stand at 4,869.
Deaths:
Across Canada over 22,617 people have died as a direct result of COVID-19 –a staggering number, far more than in countries that put public health above personal freedoms (it’s a tough call). Of the Canadian deaths, 1,421 (about 6.3%) have been in BC — 24 of those this week.
BC’s immunization rollout:
Yesterday Dr Henry led a press conference in which a new accelerated BC Immunization Plan was announced; in descending order by age people can get their vaccines sooner. The goal is to have everyone in BC vaccinated (who want to be vaccinated) by the end of June, as announced yesterday by Premier John Horgan.
Today vaccine appointment bookings are open for people over age 80, at this tail end of Phase 2 for vaccination-by-age. People in their 70s (starting with 79 and down from there) can start booking their vaccine appointments by phone (and online in Fraser Health) this weekend as part of Phase 3; Indigenous people over age 55 can also make bookings.
By mid-April, the online booking system will be available in all health authorities in BC.
Priority front-line workers or people who work in specific industries are included in both Phase 2 and Phase 3.
Immunization clinics are being organized in 172 communities in BC and will be overseen by local health authorities. Immunization clinics details will be available before Phase 3 of B.C.’s Immunization Plan. The clinics will be held at large centres including:
- School gymnasiums
- Arenas
- Convention halls
- Community halls
To date, 490,022 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in BC (a total of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca-SII); of those, 87,139 have been second doses. The administered number of doses represents 77.6% of total supply of vaccine doses as received in BC to date (631,160).
AstraZeneca put to particular use:
Dr Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix in a joint statement today said that the availability of AstraZeneca/SII COVID-19 vaccine “has allowed us to create a parallel vaccine program to our age-based provide-wide immunization program”.
The separate supply supplements and adds onto the age-based vaccines, allowing for strategic targeting of active outbreaks and higher-risk populations and locations (including remote and Indigenous).
Front-line workers in a range of sectors (including teachers, first responders, and retail) will be immunized as more vaccine becomes available.
“For those who have been at work throughout the pandemic, supporting so many others, please know your efforts are recognized and valued,” say Dr Henry and Minister Dix.
Getting around to everyone:
“Everyone is important and everyone will have their turn,” say Dr Henry and Minister Dix.
But the selection of front-line workers for “part two” of the immunization program is “based on the known risk of transmission as well as the nature and size of the workplace environment”.
Essentially, young adults are at the tail end of the age-based program and people working from home are pretty much left until last in the workplace-priority program.
Vancouver Island focus:
Another 32 COVID cases on Vancouver Island were recorded in today’s BC Centre for Disease Control stats, bringing the Island Health total cases to 2,867 pandemic-to–date. Of those cases, 242 are presently active, with the largest number in central Vancouver Island, though cases in the densely populated south island region are catching up.
Looking at the age ranges for COVID cases, tallies are creeping upward in all age cohorts. As of March 19, there have been 197 children under the age of 10 who have tested positive for the infection; youth ages 10 to 19 years have seen 343 cases.
On Vancouver Island there continues to be a lower percentage of people ages 40 to 49 with COVID compared to the BC profile; this has persisted throughout the pandemic. Reasons could include the island having fewer residents in that age group, and/or the type of occupations (fewer front-line workers, fewer workers in health-care in that age cohort, and/or more occupations that are done outdoors such as construction).
There were only two new cases in the 80-89 year cohort this week on Vancouver Island, and no new cases in people over age 90 — indicating how effective the mRNA vaccines are in the elderly.
To date, 154 people have been hospitalized in Island Health due to COVID. The number of people in hospital at present is fairly low now at nine, with three in ICU.
The positivity rate in Island Health is presently 3.4 which is exactly half the 6.8 positivity rate for all of BC.
A total of 74,622 vaccination doses have been administered in Island Health to date (of which 10,129 were second doses); all of those have been the mRNA type vaccines so far (Pfizer and Moderna). The supply of 1,000 AstraZeneca doses received by Island Health this week has not yet been administered.
There have been 28 deaths in Island Health due to COVID, pandemic-to-date. No COVID deaths happened this week in Island Health (the last new death was recorded on March 8).
Reminders to the workforce:
All businesses and workers are to continue to follow COVID-19 safety plans that need to remain in place, even if workers have been vaccinated.
“We also remind workers that health authorities will contact employers directly to arrange immunizations, and calling the age-based booking line will not provide access to the parallel AstraZeneca/SII vaccine program,” it was stated in today’s BC Health news release.
===== LINKS (provided by Government of BC):
March 18, 2021 update of the BC Immunization Plan (PowerPoint presentations): https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/03.18.2021_COVID_Immunization_Plan.pdf
Latest vaccine information:
- For vaccine information, visit the BCCDC dashboard: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/data
Or: www.bccdc.ca - Joint Statement on first deployment of AstraZeneca vaccine in B.C.: https://news.gov.bc.ca/24001
Provincial health officer orders and guidance:
- Orders: 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
- Guidance on restrictions: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/covid-19-provincial-support/restrictions
The latest updates, guidance and information on COVID-19, and where to get tested:
- The latest medical updates, including case counts, prevention, risks and to find a testing centre near you: http://www.bccdc.ca/
Or follow @CDCofBC on Twitter. - For data regarding ongoing outbreaks in long-term care, assisted-living and independent-living facilities in B.C., visit: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/data#outbreak
Mental health support:
Mental health and anxiety support: www.bouncebackbc.ca
Or: www.anxietycanada.com
Or: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/about-covid-19/mental-well-being-during-covid-19
Or: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/managing-your-health/mental-health-substance-use/virtual-supports-covid-19
To share your feedback in the Personal Impacts of COVID-19 Survey, visit: https://www.bcchr.ca/POP/our-research/pics
Non-health related information:
- Financial, child care and education support, travel, transportation and essential service information: www.gov.bc.ca/covid19
Or call 1 888 COVID19 (1 888 268-4319) between 7:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. (Pacific time), seven days a week. - COVID-19 exposure events, updates and information by health authority:
- BCCDC (flights, work sites, etc): 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/outbreaks-and-exposures
Northern Health: https://www.northernhealth.ca/health-topics/outbreaks-and-exposures
Vancouver Coastal Health: http://www.vch.ca/covid-19/public-exposures - For the latest videos and livestreaming of COVID-19 media availabilities, visit:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BCProvincialGovernment/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BCGovNews
YouTube: www.youtube.com/ProvinceofBC