There are now 47,510 cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in B.C. after health officials announced 444 new cases Tuesday.
Five of the new cases are epi-linked.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry reports that there have been 79 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 256 in the Fraser Health region, nine in the Island Health region, 78 in the Interior Health region, 22 in the Northern Health region and no new cases from people who reside outside of Canada.
There have been two new health-care facility outbreaks at the rehabilitation unit at Laurel Place and at a further acute-care unit at Surrey Memorial Hospital. There has also been a new community outbreak at Highline Farms in the Fraser Health region.
Since the start of immunizations, 4,108 people have received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in B.C., and today, vaccine clinics got underway in the Island Health, Interior Health and Northern Health regions, as well as those in Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal.
“Vaccine manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna have also provided guidance on how to safely transport the approved vaccines. This means that as deliveries increase in the coming weeks, the vaccine will increasingly be available in more locations," said Henry.
There have been 12 new COVID-19 related deaths, for a total of 777 deaths in British Columbia.
Of the total COVID-19 cases, 357 individuals are hospitalized, 84 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation.
There are 9,481 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C. and 36,094 people have recovered from the virus.
Public alerts and notifications are posted on the BC Centre for Disease Control’s (BCCDC) website and on all health authorities’ websites.
High COVID-19 risk across B.C.
Henry noted that community transmission of COVID-19 continues to occur across our province, which means the risk remains high for all of us.
“Because community spread continues, even if you have been doing all you can to protect yourself and those around you, it is important to know the symptoms of COVID-19 and get tested if symptoms develop," said Henry.
“In particular, if you develop a cough, a loss of sense of smell or taste, fever or chills, or have difficulty breathing, contact your health-care professional or call 811 to get tested right away. Testing sites will be open over the holidays.
“We also have to remember the virus spreads quickly, but shows up slowly, which is why asymptomatic testing doesn’t eliminate our risk and cannot be relied on to keep us safe.
“By staying local, avoiding all non-essential travel and using our layers of protection, we can reduce the potential for a surge in new cases two weeks from now and keep us on the path of a safer and healthier 2021 for everyone in B.C.”
