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B.C. getting first vaccine doses next week; new safety orders issued

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced a total of 2,020 new COVID cases over the weekend and issued new public health orders effective immediately.
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Dr. Bonnie Henry | Government of B.C.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced a total of 2,020 new COVID cases over the weekend and issued new public health orders effective immediately.

The December 4 ban on social gatherings with anyone outside of one’s immediate household has been extended to January 8, 2021, with an exception for those who live alone. She also extended her order prohibiting public events until the same date with exceptions for holiday drive-through events where people remain in their vehicles, such as  Christmas light displays and toy drive drop-offs. 

Henry is also exempting drive-in-and-stay events of up to 50 people where people remain in their cars for the duration of the event.

Other restrictions that do not expire will remain in effect for the foreseeable future, including adult team sports and group fitness classes. Youth team sports can continue with restrictions and no travel. Henry also said that workplace safety requirements outlined in the past two weeks are still in effect; these include reviewing and updating COVID plans, conducting daily health checks and having people work from home whenever possible.

Henry also said that there was good news about the COVID-19 vaccine, with B.C. expecting the first shipment of the vaccine next week. The province will be receiving the Pfizer vaccine and distributing it to those who need it most, she said.

Henry said she, Premier John Horgan and Health Minister Adrian Dix would have an announcement later this week regarding the plan for vaccine distribution.

Despite the positive vaccine news, Henry stressed that British Columbians cannot relax public health measures that have been put in place.  There are challenges that must be dealt with, including the fact the Pfizer vaccine needs to be kept in extremely cold temperatures. The practical limitations will make it more difficult to deliver vaccines to more rural areas of the province. Because of these challenges, the province is only ordering small amounts to start focusing on healthcare workers.

There has been a new outbreak at a mink farm in the Fraser health region, and Henry’s team is paying attention to similar mink farm outbreaks in Denmark and in the U.S. where they have seen transmission between humans and animals as well as mutation of the virus.

Henry’s team said they need to look at this problem holistically and that they are working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Public Health Agency of Canada to make sure that all necessary measures are taken, including putting in place strict controls on who and what can leave the farm. Henry said that despite the steep rise of COVID cases in the Fraser and Vancouver health regions, there has been a levelling off. 

In the province's efforts to establish a supply of personal protective equipment, Dix said that after seeing prices rise during the initial months of the pandemic, they have returned to pre-COVID levels.

B.C.’s COVID-19 statistics as of Monday, December 7, 2020 are:

  • 647 new cases on Saturday
  • 726 new cases on Sunday
  • 647 new Cases on Monday

Locations:

  • 304 in Vancouver Coastal Health
  • 1,362 in Fraser Health
  • 45 in Island Health
  • 203 in Interior Health
  • 106 in Northern Healt.
  • 10 cases were epidemiologically linked

Other data:

  • 38,152 people diagnosed with COVID
  • 9,380 active cases
  • 349 in hospital
  • 77 in critical care/ICU
  • 10,747 under active public health monitoring
  • 27,287 recovered
  • 35 people have died over the weekend
  • 527 total deaths
  • 57 active outbreaks in long term care and assisted living and eight in acute care units
  • 1,697 active cases in long term care 1,073 residents and 605 staff

Hospital bed occupancy:

  • 84.5% base bed occupancy, 63.1% surge bed occupancy in Fraser Health Authority
  • 89% base bed occupancy, 70% surge bed occupancy in Interior Health Authority
  • 80.6% base bed occupancy, 57.9% surge bed occupancy in the Northern Health Authority
  • 74.1% base bed occupancy, 67.2% surge bed occupancy in Provincial health services authority
  • 93.1% base bed occupancy, 68.3% surge bed occupancy in Vancouver Coastal Health
  • 81% base bed occupancy, 74.4% surge bed occupancy in Island Health Authority