Nine new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Northern Health today (May 12), as the province reports 600 new cases.
A joint statement by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said there are now 5,887 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Of the active cases, 423 individuals are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, 141 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
There has also been one new COVID-19 related death, for a total of 1,625 deaths in B.C.
The Northern Health region currently has 130 active cases with 11 people in hospital and four admitted to ICU.
On Monday, Northern Health ordered the closure of a pair of Quesnel businesses because of COVID-19 outbreaks. MikeGroSite Consulting LTD and Dewan Enterprise LTD were both ordered to close until May 20.
The business closures were the first in the Northern Health region, since the province put the Expedited Workplace Closure order in effect on April 12.
The province is reporting some good news today as more than 50 per cent of all eligible people B.C. have now received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
2,277,318 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in B.C., 115,295 of which are second doses.
Later today people 30 and older across the province will be able to book their vaccines. Dix and Henry say text and email invitations will be going out shortly to those who are registered.
“Given the limited availability of the AstraZeneca vaccine supply, we are holding all remaining AstraZeneca vaccine for dose-two booster immunizations. Existing pharmacy bookings will proceed, but no additional appointments will be accepted at this time,” says Dix and Henry.
“We are also awaiting the findings of studies currently underway on interchangeability of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as guidance from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization. This will help determine our approach and options for second doses.”
Officials say that no matter what vaccine you received or when you received it, everyone will get their second dose within 16 weeks of their first vaccine.
Anyone not already registered should register now in one of three ways:
- *24/7, online: https://gov.bc.ca/getvaccinated
- through a provincial call centre between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (Pacific time) at 1 833 838-2323, or
- in person at the nearest Service BC location.
"I invite British Columbians to join together and help us reach the next vaccine milestone - 60% of people vaccinated," said Dix. "B.C. has the vaccines, the clinics and the workers. Register. Get vaccinated. Speak with your friends and families. Help get them registered."
To register all you need is a personal health number (found on their CareCard or on the back of their driver's licence or BC Services Card); postal code; first and last names; date of birth; and an email address that gets checked regularly or a phone number that can receive text messages.
"Regardless of whether you got your first dose through a pharmacy, through your workplace as a priority worker, through a clinic of any kind, or by booking a first dose through a health authority call centre, people must now register through the Get Vaccinated system," added Dr. Penny Ballem, executive lead for B.C.'s immunization efforts.
"Getting every person registered is vital to our immunization efforts in B.C. If you aren't sure whether you have registered already or have been registered, register now to help public health get you your doses of vaccine."
