The first COVID-19 vaccines are about to be administered in B.C.
Nearly 4,000 doses are going to two clinics in the Fraser and Vancouver Coastal health regions, which have the greatest number of cases in the province. First to be immunized will be health care workers in long-term care homes, and intensive, emergency and COVID care units in hospitals.
“This is huge,” provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said of the vaccine’s arrival in B.C.
“I can’t tell you how exciting this is to know that this start of this new phase to protect people is beginning here in B.C. and Canada.”
By next week the vaccine will be delivered to nine sites across the province, including on Vancouver Island.
On Monday, as it made the vaccine announcement, the province reported 2,146 new cases of COVID-19 and 49 deaths. Twenty-nine of the new cases are in the Island Health region.
The province has 10,039 active cases, and 11,177 people are in isolation after coming in contact with a confirmed case.
COVID-19 hospitalizations are at a record high of 359, with 87 in intensive or critical care.
There were an additional 1,474 cases in Fraser Health, 300 in Vancouver Coastal, 29 in Island Health, 250 in Interior Health, and 91 in Northern Health.
“We have flattened; we are not back down,” Henry said.
The 49 deaths occurred in Fraser, Vancouver Coastal and Northern health regions. None were on the Island, where eight people have died of the disease.
“This loss is a massive loss,” said B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix. He noted that celebrations of life are limited to a maximum of ten people, making these losses even tougher for family, friends and communities.
The vaccine must be given as two doses, about 21 days apart.
Henry said despite the arrival of a vaccine, “there’s still a way to go” and she fears that people will let down their guard, tempted by the holiday season, and spread the virus through social gatherings.
“My biggest fear … is that we’re not going to do enough,” said Henry. “There are no safe gatherings right now.” The virus continues to circulate in our communities and tragically, people continue to lose their loved ones, Henry said.
Minutes spent in a grocery store or retail store is “quite different” in risk compared to the risk of sitting with extended family or friends, she said. “Now is our time to double down, to remember that to this is the hardest period that we are going to be going through, but we can get through this and we can support each other. We can be adaptive. We are resilient. We’ve see that for the last 11 months and now is not the time to let that go.”
