More than 3,000 British Columbians have been infected with the COVID-19 virus and 18 have died since Friday.
That brings the death toll in B.C. to 1,513.
Despite a three-week circuit breaker imposed two weeks ago and more than 1 million vaccinations administered in B.C., the COVID-19 virus and its new variants continue to burn through the population in the Fraser Valley and Vancouver Coastal Heath regions, raising the likelihood that the circuit breaker’s enhanced restrictions could be extended, and possibly enhanced, past April 19.
B.C. recorded a record 1,293 infections on April 8, followed by another 1,262 Friday. Since then, another 3,289 infections have been confirmed. That includes 1,283 between Friday and Saturday.
"It is not a record, but it is close to a record," B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said Monday at a pandemic briefing.
"This is, I don't need to say, our third wave," provincial health officer Bonnie Henry said.
She said about 50% of the infections are from one of the new variants of COVID-19.
Henry confirmed that most of the deaths since Friday are among "predominantly older people." She added there have not been any deaths for some time now among residents of long-term care homes, where residents were among the first in B.C. to be vaccinated.
"All of the unfortunate deaths over the weekend were people who were in hospital," Henry said. "They're mostly people in their 60s and 70s."
A total 368 of British Columbians are hospitalized, and 121 are in intensive care.
New infections since Friday break down according to the following health regions:
• Vancouver Coastal Health, 740;
• Fraser Health 1,957;
• Island Health 167;
• Interior Health 299; and
• Northern Health 125
To date, more than 1 million British Columbians have received at least the first dose of a vaccine -- about 24% of the population.
Two new outbreaks have occurred at long-term care homes: Dufferin Care Centre and Sunset Manor.
Henry urged everyone who is eligbile to get a vaccination to do so. That includes the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is available to everyone in B.C. aged 55 to 65 through pharmacies.
Despite fears that the AstraZeneca vaccine is less effective than the two vaccines being administered by the province, and has had some side effects, Henry gave assurances that "it is a safe and effective vaccine that has been used in millions of people around the world."
There are active outbreaks at the following long-term living or B.C. seniors' homes:
- Sunset Manor in Abbotsford;
- Dufferin Care Centre in Coquitlam;
- Acropolis Manor in Prince Rupert;
- Chartwell Langley Gardens in Langley;
- Joseph & Rosalie Segal & Family Health Centre;
- Longlake Chateau in Nanaimo; and
- Cottonwoods Care Centre in Kelowna.
As for any new public health orders, a new expedited workplace closure order goes into effect at midnight.
"This order...is an alternative to shutting down sectors," Henry said.
The order targets specific businesses, shutting them down for 10 days when transmission in those businesses have been confirmed.
A list of closed businesses will be published on public heatlh authority websites and on the BC Centre for Disease Control's website "so that we all know where we're having these challenges."
Asked at what point would she consider ordering schools closed, Henry did not directly answer, but suggested it's not something that's being contemplated in B.C., unlike in other provinces.
"When we see increased transmission in the community, it's when children were not in school," she said. "The structured time and the important structure that school give to families and communities is really important, and it's a less risky environment."
While she encouraged British Columbians to get outside, she said travel outside one's immediate community is strongly discouraged.
A total of 15,900 people are under active public health monitoring in B.C. A total of 112,829 British Columbians have been infected with COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic over a year ago. A total of 101,216 people have recovered.
