Monday March 29, 2021 | VICTORIA, BC
Analysis by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc., Editor | Island Social Trends
Today the hammer came down — still relatively gently — on British Columbians in an attempt to curtail high case counts along with increasing postivity percentages and increasing seven-day rolling case averages.
With Premier John Horgan taking the political lead, Provincial Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry retracted on indoor gatherings for faith-based groups, said no to indoor dining at restaurants (take out and delivery still ok), and put group fitness classes on hold.
The circuit-breaker period of three weeks (from March 29 at midnight through April 19, 2021) also includes a stern request to stay home as much as possible, including a return to employers having people work at home like in the first wave of the pandemic in spring 2020.
Specifically, the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort has been closed by public health order. There was just too much transmission from uncontrolled social activity.
Read more about the political and public health joint announcement today, here.
BC COVID stats at March 29, 2021:
Total new cases over the last three days of the weekend (March 26 to 29) is 2,518 (daily average 839.3 cases). with 6,902 cases presently active.
Possibly the highest number of people to date are self-isolating due to known exposure: 10,377.
Hospitalizations are at 299 with 79 people in ICU. Total hospitalizations to date stand at 5,167.
There were six more deaths in the last three days, bringing the provincial total to 1,455.
A total of 699,092 vaccine doses have been administered (of which 87,289 have been second doses). Health Minister Adrian Dix says 14.2% of eligible adults in British Columbia have received a first dose (from any of Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca products).
Vaccine supply as received in BC to date totals to 826,620 (Pfizer 588,120, Moderna 170,500, AstraZeneca 68,000).
Variants of Concern (VOC) are just that… continuing to produce concern for public health and everyone else. So far 2,233 cases in BC have been caused by VOC’s (1,915 of B.1.1.7; 48 of B.1.351; and 270 of P.1), of which 413 are active. The VOC’s are more transmissible than the original COVID coronavirus and cause more serious illness.
Case counts head higher more quickly in urban areas, said Dr Henry today, as the virus has an easier time transmitting in more dense populations. Social gatherings (other than one’s immediate household) are also a key breeding ground for the virus.
Vancouver Island COVID stats to March 29, 2021:
Total new cases in Island Health over the last three days of the weekend (March 26 to 29) is 142 (daily average high at 47.3 cases). with 368 cases presently active.
Hospitalizations are at 12 in Island Health with one person in ICU. Total hospitalizations to date stand at 164 for Vancouver Island.
There was one more death over the weekend in Island Health; that’s the first one since March 8. Total now 29.
A total of 109,594 vaccine doses have been administered in Island Health so far (of which10,134 have been second doses).
Vaccine supply as received in Island Health to date totals to 139,510 (Pfizer 101,010, Moderna 37,500, AstraZeneca 1,000).
