Ten new people in Island Health have tested positive for COVID-19 from a total 165 new cases in the province, B.C.’s top doctor reported on Tuesday.
The Island Health COVID-19 dashboard reported 29 active cases on the Island on Monday, 19 in the south, eight in the central region, and two in the north.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix reported 2,051 active cases of COVID-19 in the province on Tuesday, of whom 203 are in hospital, including 57 in critical or intensive care.
There were no new COVID-19 related deaths reported in the province on Tuesday. The total COVID-19 related deaths remained at 1,722 on Tuesday.
Henry and Dix jointly announced 74 per cent of all adults in B.C. and 71 per cent of those 12 and older had received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Tuesday. That brings the total doses administered to 3.68 million, of which 345,508 are second doses.
The steady rise in vaccinations is encouraging, said Henry and Dix, in their daily weekday report.
For those who received the AstraZeneca as a first dose and are now undecided about what to choose as a second dose — either AstraZeneca available through pharmacies or mRNA vaccines through the province’s mass clinics — “there is no wrong choice to make,” said Henry and Dix.
Whether you choose a second AstraZeneca vaccine or have an mRNA vaccine such as Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, all combinations are safe and provide effective protection after two doses, they said.
“Take the time to think through your options so you are ready when your eight weeks come up and it is your turn,” said Henry and Dix.
There is plenty of vaccine whether one gets AstraZeneca in local pharmacies or mRNA vaccines through mass provincial clinics, they said.
