B.C. is in a tug of war between COVID-19 transmissions and vaccinations, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Thursday as she announced record-high hospitalizations for people requiring intensive care.
There are now 503 people in hospital with COVID-19 in B.C., including 178 in intensive-care units, and hospitalizations among those in their 40s and 50s have increased.
“We all need to continue to pay attention — our cases are still much higher than we want them to be, and that tells us that transmission is still happening in our communities,” said Henry, calling the number of people in hospital requiring specialized critical care “the highest ever.”
The Island Health region is postponing non-urgent surgeries, as some hospitals in the Lower Mainland have already done.
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said 12 non-urgent surgeries were cancelled in Island Health between April 19 and April 25.
The postponements in Island Health have “nothing to do with the COVID-19 situation” or transfer of patients to Island hospitals from other jurisdictions, he said. After a year of the pandemic, there is pressure on staffing, said Dix.
Another 853 people in the province have tested positive for COVID-19, including 30 in Island Health. The epicentre remains Fraser Health with 574 cases and the fewest were in Northern Health at 25.
There are now 7,996 active cases in B.C. and 11,628 in isolation and being monitored because of being exposed to a known case of the virus.
One additional death in Interior Health announced Thursday brings total deaths so far to 1,577.
There have been 1.7 million people vaccinated in B.C., including more than 90,000 second doses.
Although vaccine delivery has been slow, Henry said, doses are expected to arrive swiftly in the weeks ahead, especially Pfizer-BioNTech, so everyone who wants a first dose could have one as early as mid-June.
“We’re using every last drop of vaccine, and we’ll continue to do whatever we need to break the chains of transmission, but we need your help,” said Henry, who asked British Columbians not to travel outside their areas, and to ensure they are registered on the government’s Get Vaccinated website.
No matter what program for which you are eligible, everyone in B.C. who is 18 years and older is asked to register either on the Get Vaccinated website or by calling 1 833 838-2323.
Previous to the government’s launch of the vaccination website, people were asked to register by phone through their health authorities. Those people are registered already and don’t need to re-apply online, said Island Health. Likewise, if someone registered with the government’s website for the age-based roll-out, then changed their mind and received AstraZeneca at a pharmacy or other program, that person remains in the system and doesn’t need to re-register, said Island Health.
“We are expecting much more vaccine to arrive in the coming weeks,” said Henry. “By registering, you will be able to receive the first available appointment.”
“With or without a vaccine, we all need to continue to hold steady with our individual efforts - sticking with our layers of protection, staying small and local, and following all of the orders in place,” she said.
ceharnett@timescolonist.com
