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  • COVID-19 update for Feb. 5-6: Here’s the latest on coronavirus in B.C.

    COVID-19 update for Feb. 5-6: Here’s the latest on coronavirus in B.C.

    Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C.

    Publishing date:

    Feb 06, 2022  •  9 hours ago  •  7 minute read  •  55 Comments

    Here's your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C.
    Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C. Photo by iStock/Getty Images Plus /PNG

    Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C. for Feb. 5-6, 2022.

    We’ll provide summaries of what’s going on in B.C. right here so you can get the latest news at a glance. This page will be updated regularly throughout the day, with developments added as they happen.

    Check back here for more updates throughout the day. You can also get the latest COVID-19 news delivered to your inbox weeknights at 7 p.m. by subscribing to our newsletter here.

    B.C.’S COVID-19 CASE NUMBERS

    As of the latest figures given on Feb. 4:

    • Total number of confirmed cases: 330,942 (25,479 active)
    • New cases: 1,799
    • Total deaths: 2,675 (19 new deaths)
    • Hospitalized cases: 946
    • Intensive care: 139
    • Total vaccinations: 4,486,817 received first dose (90{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of eligible pop. 5+); 4,199,246 second doses (84.2{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}); 2,227,223 third doses (51.5{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of adults)
    • Recovered from acute infection: 301,573
    • Long-term care and assisted-living homes, and acute care facilities currently affected: 58

    IN-DEPTH:   Here are all the B.C. cases of the novel coronavirus in 2021 | in 2020

    B.C. GUIDES AND LINKS

    • COVID-19: B.C.’s vaccine passport is here and this is how it works

    • COVID-19: Afraid of needles? Here’s how to overcome your fear and get vaccinated

    • COVID-19: Here’s where to get tested in Metro Vancouver

    • B.C. COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool

    LATEST NEWS on COVID-19 in B.C.

    Orca Realty says “rogue individual” drove company van in anti-vax rally

    A Vancouver real estate company has apologized after one of its vehicles was used in the anti-vax rally held in the city over the weekend — blaming a “rogue” individual.

    According to a statement posted on Sunday on the Orca Realty website, “Orca Realty did not participate in this convoy protest today. Orca Realty would never be part of this ever. We are reaching out to find out exactly who drove a vehicle with our name on it in this rally. We apologize profusely for this horrible incident. This was a rogue individual and in no way reflects the beliefs of Orca Realty or Orca Realty ownership.”

    The black Mercedes van with Orca Realty markings was photographed among the rally of vehicles that travelled from Langley to downtown Vancouver on Saturday.

    Hundreds converge on Vancouver to oppose health mandates

    Protesters disrupted the route of a truck convoy and other vehicles that travelled from Langley to downtown Vancouver on Saturday in opposition to COVID-19 health mandates and to show support for the “Freedom Convoy” that converged in Ottawa last weekend.

    At Kingsway and Broadway streets, protesters stood and biked in front of the convoy, blocking traffic until police temporarily rerouted several large trucks, to the cheers of protesters.

    “I don’t necessarily love the idea of blocking roads, because it does make things worse for any type of emergency service and ruins everyone’s day,” said a protester named Madeline, who called the convoy of trucks an act of racism, “because it’s throwing that in the face and billions of people in the world that don’t have access to that health care.”

    “But it was really good to see the trucks turn around,” she added.

    Read the full story here .

    — Nathan Griffiths, Tiffany Crawford

    Ottawa protesters outnumber police and are in control: Mayor

    Protesters camped out in the Canadian capital outnumber the police and control the situation, the Ottawa’s mayor said on Sunday, as a demonstration against vaccine mandates clogged parts of the city for a 10th day.

    The “Freedom Convoy” began as a movement against a Canadian vaccine requirement for cross-border truckers but has turned into a rallying point against public health measures and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government.

    Protesters have paralyzed downtown Ottawa for the past nine days, with some participants waving Confederate or Nazi flags and some saying they wanted to dissolve Canada’s government.

    “The situation at this point is completely out of control because the individuals with the protest are calling the shots,” Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said on a local radio station. “They have far more people than we have police officers.”

    Read the full story here .

    — Reuters

    Vancouver Giants cancel home game over COVID concerns

    The Vancouver Giants‘ game against the Seattle Thunderbirds scheduled for Sunday afternoon at the Langley Events Centre has been put off due to COVID-19 issues with the Giants.

    In a statement, the Western Hockey League said it is “working in consultation with the WHL chief medical officer regarding the matter concerning the Vancouver Giants. Information on the rescheduling of Sunday’s game between the Thunderbirds and Giants will be provided at a later date.”

    The Giants are slated to visit the Kelowna Rockets on Wednesday.

    Read the full story here .

    — Steve Ewen

    U.S. surpasses 900,000 COVID deaths

    The coronavirus pandemic reached a grim new milestone in the United States on Friday with the nation’s cumulative death toll from COVID-19 surpassing 900,000, even as the daily number of lives lost has begun to level off, according to data collected by Reuters.

    The latest tally marks an rise of more than 100,000 U.S. COVID-19 fatalities since Dec. 12, coinciding with a surge of infections and hospitalizations driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant of the virus.

    Preliminary evidence has shown that Omicron, while far more infectious, generally causes less severe illness than earlier iterations of the virus, such as Delta. But the sheer volume of Omicron cases fuelled a surge in hospitalizations that has strained many U.S. health care systems to their limits in recent weeks.

    Experts have said the bulk of Omicron patients requiring hospitalization were unvaccinated individuals and people with other underlying chronic health conditions.

    Read the full story here .

    — Reuters

    Preparing for whatever post-pandemic’s ‘business as usual’ looks like

    The COVID pandemic has permanently changed things for theatre companies, tourism operators and event organizers, even though the rest of society wants to get back to normal.

    “(The pandemic) teaches me … that our business model has to be fluid and that you can’t get frustrated with endless planning cycles,” said Peter Cathie White, executive director of the Arts Club Theatre.

    So, while Cathie White is confident that patrons will get the same old in-theatre experience when the Arts Club raises the curtain on its production of Kim’s Convenience at the Stanley Industrial Stage on Feb. 24 (with everyone around them wearing masks), behind the scenes, things work a little differently.

    There are plans to use understudies in case of illness, and preparations to move shows if another COVID variant shows up, as well as to “COVID-proof ourselves to the best of our ability,” Cathie White said.

    The pandemic hasn’t finished with B.C. The province reported 1,799 new COVID cases Friday with 946 British Columbians still in hospital, 139 of whom are in intensive care, and 19 deaths in the last 24 hours.

    Read full story here .

    — Derrick Penner

    GoFundMe shuts down truck convoy fundraiser

    GoFundMe said it has removed the ‘Freedom Convoy 2022’ fundraiser from its website, citing reports of violence and harassment.

    In a statement Friday, the online fundraising platform said it believed the truck convoy, which made its way from B.C. and other parts of Canada to Ottawa last weekend and started with the intention of protesting vaccine mandates, was originally intended to be peaceful.

    “We now have evidence from law enforcement that the previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation, with police reports of violence and other unlawful activity,” it said.

    The fundraiser has raised more than $10 million for the truckers and demonstrators protesting COVID-19 mandates in Ottawa.

    946 hospitalizations, 19 deaths

    The COVID-19 pandemic’s death toll continues to mount as B.C. records one of its highest single-day totals.

    On Friday, 19 COVID-related deaths were reported across the province, the second-highest daily tally this year, topped only by Jan. 26’s 21 deaths.

    Five of the deaths occurred in Fraser Health, six in Vancouver Coastal, six in Island Health, and two in Northern Health.

    There are 946 people who tested positive for COVID who are currently in hospital, 39 less than yesterday’s 985. Hospitalization figures include both those who were admitted to hospital with severe COVID-19 symptoms and those who happened to test positive while admitted to hospital for other reasons.

    DEATHS BY HEALTH AUTHORITY

    B.C. VACCINE TRACKER

    WHAT’S HAPPENING ACROSS CANADA

    LOCAL RESOURCES for COVID-19 information

    Here are a number of information and landing pages for COVID-19 from various health and government agencies.

    • B.C. COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool

    • Vancouver Coastal Health — Information on Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

    • HealthLink B.C. — Coronavirus (COVID-19) information page

    • B.C. Centre for Disease Control — Novel coronavirus (COVID-19)

    • Government of Canada — Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Outbreak update

    • World Health Organization — Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak

    —with files from The Canadian Press

    Comments

    Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

  • COVID-19 update for Feb. 5-6: Here’s the latest on coronavirus in B.C.

    COVID-19 update for Feb. 2: Here’s the latest on coronavirus in B.C.

    Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C.

    Publishing date:

    Feb 02, 2022  •  10 hours ago  •  7 minute read  •  101 Comments

    Here's your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C.
    Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C. Photo by iStock/Getty Images Plus /PNG

    Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C. for Feb. 2, 2022.

    We’ll provide summaries of what’s going on in B.C. right here so you can get the latest news at a glance. This page will be updated regularly throughout the day, with developments added as they happen.

    Check back here for more updates throughout the day. You can also get the latest COVID-19 news delivered to your inbox weeknights at 7 p.m. by subscribing to our newsletter here.

    B.C.’S COVID-19 CASE NUMBERS

    As of the latest figures given on Feb. 2:

    • Total number of confirmed cases: 327,625 (25,959 active)
    • New cases: 1,236
    • Total deaths: 2,643 (18 new deaths)
    • Hospitalized cases: 988
    • Intensive care: 136
    • Total vaccinations: 4,483,908 received first dose (90{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of eligible pop. 5+); 4,191,486 second doses (84.1{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}); 2,176,872 third doses (50.3{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of adults)
    • Recovered from acute infection: 293,488
    • Long-term care and assisted-living homes, and acute care facilities currently affected: 54

    IN-DEPTH:   Here are all the B.C. cases of the novel coronavirus in 2021 | in 2020

    B.C. GUIDES AND LINKS

    • COVID-19: B.C.’s vaccine passport is here and this is how it works

    • COVID-19: Afraid of needles? Here’s how to overcome your fear and get vaccinated

    • COVID-19: Here’s where to get tested in Metro Vancouver

    • B.C. COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool

    LATEST NEWS on COVID-19 in B.C.

    Number of people in hospital falls as 18 people die

    Latest health data shows that 279 people were admitted to hospital over the past day either because of COVID-19, or for other reasons but they tested positive upon arrival.

    According to provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry around 40 per cent of all COVID-19 cases in hospital are there because of the disease.

    There are now 988 people in total in hospital that have COVID-19. There are 136 people who are seriously sick with the disease and being treated in intensive care.

    There were 1,776 cases reported over the past day and 25,959 active cases. Both these numbers are understated by a factor of four due to limited PCR testing.

    Eighteen people died because of COVID-19 over the past day, with that total now at 2,643.

    More provinces preparing to loosen COVID-19 restrictions in coming weeks

    More provinces are loosening COVID-19 restrictions as hospitalizations in some parts of the country appear to plateau, but health officials caution that eased measures could lead to increased infections in the coming weeks.

    “We really certainly hope that we will not have to get back (to restrictions) in any way, but there’s a risk,” said Dr. Luc Boileau, Quebec’s interim director of public health.

    COVID-19 hospitalizations in Quebec dropped Wednesday by 122 to 2,730, and the number of people in intensive care decreased by 14 to 204.

    Quebec released modelling that showed the decrease may not last long. Boileau said the number of infections, and ultimately hospitalizations, is likely to rise again with children going back to school and the softening of health measures.

    Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, said the daily number of people with COVID-19 in hospitals is dipping slightly at the national level. But, she added, it remains high and is still rising in some jurisdictions.

    “Where some public health measures are easing, layers of personal protective practices remain crucial for reducing spread and preventing resurgence,” she said in a social media post.

    Alberta and Saskatchewan reported record numbers of people in hospital with COVID-19 this week as both provinces announced plans to remove vaccine passport requirements by the end of the month.

    Read the full story here.

    — Canadian Press

    Lockdowns only reduced COVID deaths by 0.2 per cent, Johns Hopkins study finds

    A new study out of Johns Hopkins University is claiming that worldwide pandemic lockdowns only prevented 0.2 per cent of COVID-19 deaths and were “not an effective way of reducing mortality rates during a pandemic.”

    “We find no evidence that lockdowns, school closures, border closures, and limiting gatherings have had a noticeable effect on COVID-19 mortality,” reads the paper, which is based on a review of 34 pre-existing COVID-19 studies.

    Given the “devastating effects” that lockdowns have caused, the authors recommended they be “rejected out of hand as a pandemic policy instrument.”

    In both Europe and the United States, researchers found that a lockdown could only be expected to bring down mortality rates by 0.2 per cent “as compared to a COVID-19 policy based solely on recommendations.” For context, 0.2 per cent of total Canadian COVID-19 fatalities thus far is equal to about 70 people.

    The impact of border closures was found to be even less effective, with death rates only going down about 0.1 per cent.

    Read the full story here.

    — Tristin Hopper, National Post

    Seniors advocate welcomes new long term care rules, but outbreak murkiness presents ‘risk’

    Every long term care resident in B.C. can now choose a designated visitor who will be granted unlimited visits even if an outbreak is declared in the facility.

    Provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, Tuesday said this effort is in “adjusting our outbreak management approach in long term care.”

    “We are acutely aware of the impact of the extended social isolation that comes with the full closures of long term care homes,” said Henry. “And we’ve been trying to find the balance between limiting the risks to residents in long term care, minimizing transmission of the virus as well as having that all-important contact with loved ones.”

    B.C.’s seniors advocate and families of long term care residents have been calling for that change for close to a year.

    Read full story here.

    —Lisa Cordasco

    These doctors and COVID-19 experts are pushing for quicker return to pre-pandemic normal

    It’s been a tough two years in the intensive care unit of Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng’s Ottawa hospital.

    The hours have been horrendous and burnout among staff widespread, not least due to a unique characteristic of the COVID-19 sufferers who have flooded the ward.

    While the typical ICU patient is unconscious for much of his or her stay, those with COVID often arrive awake and can chat with the doctors and nurses, which makes it all the harder when some grow desperately ill and succumb to the virus, said Kyeremanteng, the unit’s head.

    “You could have a conversation with them, they’re relatable,” he said. “That was a very under-recognized source of stress.”

    But despite the pressures of grappling head-on with the world’s worst public-health crisis in generations, Kyeremanteng has a perhaps surprising take on the pandemic and its impact.

    As some of his colleagues balk at any easing yet of public-health restrictions, the critical-care specialist is pushing for schools to move more quickly toward open, pre-pandemic norms, and questions the need for some of the other limits still in place.

    Read the full story here.

    —Tom Blackwell

    COVID-19 vaccine for toddlers in B.C. will not happen in the short term, says provincial health officer

    Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says a COVID-19 vaccine for infants and toddlers will not arrive in B.C. in the short term.

    Henry was reacting to news that Pfizer had been asked by U.S. health regulators to accelerate its application for emergency approval of a vaccine that could be used in people aged six months to four years.

    At the moment, vaccines are approved for use in Canada and the U.S. for anyone aged five and up.

    In a statement released on Tuesday, Pfizer said it had begun submitting data to U.S. regulators including the Food and Drug Administration for authorization of its vaccine for children under five. This was done at the request of the FDA.

    A panel of outside advisers is scheduled to meet Feb. 15 to consider the request, with the agency stating it wants a vaccine available for this age group as a matter of priority.

    B.C. registers nine deaths over past day

    The B.C. Ministry of Health is reporting nine new COVID-19 deaths over the past day, bringing that total to 2,625. There were 1,236 new cases reported, and 28,302 active cases of the disease in B.C. — both these numbers are underestimates due to limited PCR testing being done.

    Interior Health is now accounting for more cases than any other health authority, despite it being smaller than Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health. According to the  ministry, there were 406 new cases reported in Interior Health compared to 253 in Fraser Health and 212 in Vancouver Coastal Health.

    There are now 55 active outbreaks in health-care facilities, mostly in long-term care homes.

    DEATHS BY HEALTH AUTHORITY

    B.C. VACCINE TRACKER

    WHAT’S HAPPENING ACROSS CANADA

    LOCAL RESOURCES for COVID-19 information

    Here are a number of information and landing pages for COVID-19 from various health and government agencies.

    • B.C. COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool

    • Vancouver Coastal Health – Information on Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

    • HealthLink B.C. – Coronavirus (COVID-19) information page

    • B.C. Centre for Disease Control – Novel coronavirus (COVID-19)

    • Government of Canada – Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Outbreak update

    • World Health Organization – Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak

    –with files from The Canadian Press

    Comments

    Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

  • Telehealth experiments & the latest digital health news from JPM

    Telehealth experiments & the latest digital health news from JPM

    You are looking at the world-wide-web edition of STAT Wellness Tech, our guide to how tech is reworking the everyday living sciences. Sign up to get this newsletter delivered in your inbox each and every Tuesday and Thursday. 

    Telehealth businesses take a look at the waters on risk-sharing

    A handful of virtual treatment corporations are inking new varieties of contracts that reward them for preserving patients’ price tag minimal and penalize them for overspending — a model identified as risk-sharing. It’s a departure from the common “fee-for-service” billing process, and a move  providers hope could support them get paid for the expert services they offer in addition to virtual doctors’ appointments, like in-app messaging, medicine reminders, and electronic wellbeing coaching. They are also betting that embracing threat could endear them to the health options and businesses they depend on for contracts.

    ad

    Execs from organizations like Heartbeat Health and Teladoc say they’re in the quite early stages of cementing these contracts. When there is no very clear roadmap for how to construction them, irrespective of whether they choose maintain could explain how virtual care will suit into the brick-and-mortar healthcare process and incentivize individuals corporations to operate with classic companies on avoidance, explained Jennifer Goldsack, CEO of the Digital Drugs Society. “There is an prospect to reimagine what wellbeing care appears to be like when it is close to the affected individual,” she instructed Mohana. Study the complete story.

    The circumstance for scaling principal treatment

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    Intently watched upstarts hawking higher-tech health care are in a fierce battle with retail giants and tech corporations to ascertain the long term of key treatment. And as they make the rounds at conferences like JP Morgan, they are out to influence investors that major care — which has traditionally been underfunded — is scalable and value backing. Medicare-targeted startup Oak Road Well being plans to open up 70 far more destinations this year A single Medical expects to get to 28 markets soon. And other gamers including Walmart, CVS, and Amazon are ramping up their own endeavours. But the companies have also confronted headwinds, including a DOJ inquiry into Oak Street’s probable Untrue Statements Act violations. Casey has the tale.

    The guarantee of neurostimulation

    Brain stimulation is booming. This growing field of study is slowly and gradually revealing truths of the brain: how it will work, how it malfunctions, and how electrical impulses, exactly targeted and managed, may be used to address psychiatric and neurological disorders. Scientists are wanting into how distinctive sorts of neuromodulation influence dependancy, despair, persistent soreness, obsessive compulsive condition, and a lot more. Still, the industry is in its infancy, and a lot of hurdles to therapy continue to be. STAT’s Isabella Cueto has the total story.

    Yes, it was a ton of revenue

    SILICON VALLEY Lender

    This is the chart we all noticed coming, we just ultimately know what it suggests, courtesy of Silicon Valley Bank’s annual Health care Investments & Exits report. Health and fitness tech expenditure in 2021 much more than doubled, with 60{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of funding coming from mega rounds. Early stage expenditure also greater from $2.2 billion in 2020 to $3.5 billion in 2021. Inspite of these remarkable figures total, SVB sees some indications that factors could cool off: It expects venture cash fundraising will fall to $16 billion throughout health and fitness care in 2022 from its outstanding $28 billion last 12 months.

    What the study suggests about AI and quality assurance

    AI and device finding out promise popular benefits in overall health treatment, but there is no complete framework for how to safely and securely and responsibly introduce the technological innovation, a team of scientists compose in a new literature evaluation in Nature’s NPJ Electronic Medication.

    Their assessment finds that there is an abundance of guidance about facts preparing, but less about computer software progress and how to evaluate impression and implementation. Their review could provide as the foundation for this sort of a framework, however they famous sizeable gaps in educational exploration about high-quality assessment in the afterwards phases of predictive design development.

    Tech requires more than JPM

    Right now at JPM we’ll be observing shows from Talkspace, Colour, and GoodRx. Here’s what is happened in tech at the convention because we final talked:

    • Headspace Wellness, which was shaped previous year with the merger of telemental wellbeing service Ginger and mindfulness app Headspace, announced the acquisition of Sayana, an AI mental overall health application.
    • Transcarent, the wellbeing treatment startup for self-insured businesses from Livongo founder Glen Tullman, declared a $200 million Collection C round led by Kinnevik and Human Capital with participation from Ally Bridge Group, Typical Catalyst, and 7wireVentures.
    • At a JPM side celebration, Deborah Di Sanzo, president of Very best Acquire Wellbeing, stated that even with the company’s ambitions, it is not fascinated in care delivery: “We have a large red line that we will not cross, and that is, we are not going to be a company,” she mentioned.

    New yr, new gig

    • Fred Hutchinson Most cancers Analysis Center appointed Jeffrey Leek as vice president and main details officer. Leek earlier labored at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg University of Community Wellness.
    • AliveCor appointed Vincent Balsamo as govt vice president of throughout the world profits and Archana Dubey as main scientific officer. Balsamo formerly labored at Salesforce, Cisco, IBM, and Propeller Health. Dubey joins from Hewlett Packard.
    • Tendo Units, a wellness care application startup funded by Typical Catalyst and Lux Funds, appointed Bala Hota as senior vice president and chief informatics officer. Hota comes from Hurry College Healthcare Heart.
    • SonderMind, a psychological overall health know-how startup, appointed Brannan Schell as main functioning officer. He was formerly the company’s chief progress officer.
    • Quartet, a further psychological wellbeing upstart, hired Jay Meyers as main expansion officer. He was earlier CEO of Wellvana Well being and main advancement & marketing officer for Anthem’s diversified business team.
    • BehaVR, which is developing mental health treatment options utilizing digital truth, appointed Risa Weisberg chief scientific officer. Weisberg is a professor of psychiatry at the Boston College University of Medicine.
    • ClarifyHealth hired Niall Brennan, previous CEO of the Health Care Expense Institute, as its main analytics and privateness officer.
    • Cityblock introduced on a host of new hires this 7 days, including chief health officer Kameron Matthews, previously main health care officer at the Veterans Affairs Section chief men and women officer Ara Tucker, who led talent strategy at Audible main administrative officer Susan Brown, previously basic counsel at Haven and chief marketing officer Andrea Zahumensky, formerly chief internet marketing officer at KFC.

    What we’re looking through

  • COVID-19 update for Dec. 24-26: Here’s the latest on coronavirus in BC

    COVID-19 update for Dec. 24-26: Here’s the latest on coronavirus in BC

    Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C.

    Author of the article:

    David Carrigg, Cayley Dobie

    Publishing date:

    Dec 25, 2021  •  13 hours ago  •  7 minute read  •  69 Comments

    Here's your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C.
    Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C. Photo by Gilnature /iStock/Getty Images

    Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C. for Dec. 24-26, 2021.

    We’ll provide summaries of what’s going on in B.C. right here so you can get the latest news at a glance. This page will be updated regularly throughout the day, with developments added as they happen.

    Check back here for more updates throughout the day. You can also get the latest COVID-19 news delivered to your inbox weeknights at 7 p.m. by subscribing to our newsletter here.

    B.C.’S COVID-19 CASE NUMBERS

    As of the latest figures given on Dec. 24:

    • Total number of confirmed cases: 235,658 (10,415 active)
    • New cases since Dec. 24: 2,441
    • Total deaths: 2,414 (four deaths)
    • Hospitalized cases: 192
    • Intensive care: 71
    • Total vaccinations: 4,377,551 received first dose; 4,126,279 second doses; 807,057 third doses
    • Recovered from acute infection: 222,604
    • Long-term care and assisted-living homes, and acute care facilities currently affected: Two

    IN-DEPTH:   Here are all the B.C. cases of the novel coronavirus in 2021 | in 2020

    B.C. GUIDES AND LINKS

    • COVID-19: Here’s everything you need to know about the novel coronavirus

    • COVID-19: B.C.’s vaccine passport is here and this is how it works

    • COVID-19: Here’s how to get your vaccination shot in B.C.

    • COVID-19: Look up your neighbourhood in our interactive map of case and vaccination rates in B.C.

    • COVID-19: Afraid of needles? Here’s how to overcome your fear and get vaccinated

    • COVID-19: Five things to know about the P1 variant spreading in B.C.

    • COVID-19: Here’s where to get tested in Metro Vancouver

    • B.C. COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool

    LATEST NEWS on COVID-19 in B.C.

    Saturday, Dec. 25

    Vancouver Coastal Health closes St. Vincent testing site temporarily

    St. Vincent’s COVID-19 testing site is temporarily closed due to winter weather conditions and people seeking tests are asked to visit the new site at UBC’s Life Sciences Centre.

    Starting today, Vancouver Coastal Health will be diverting anyone needing a test to the UBC location. The health authority will also be redeploying staff and resources from the St. Vincent’s site to UBC to help with testing.

    “This is a precautionary measure to ensure the safe operations of testing services for both staff and people accessing care during the inclement weather,” according to a notice from Vancouver Coastal Health .

    The UBC testing site, located at 2350 Health Sciences Mall in Vancouver, is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. It will also remain open when the St. Vincent’s site reopens.

    For more information about COVID-19 testing, click here .

    Because of a recent surge in testing, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is asking people with symptoms and who are not at risk of serious illness are asked to assume they have COVID-19 and stay and isolate.

    — Cayley Dobie

    Friday, Dec. 24

    B.C. sets another COVID-19 record with 2,441 new cases

    Health officials reported 2,441 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, setting another pandemic record for highest number of new cases in one day.

    Fraser Health led today’s case count with 1,001 new cases while Vancouver Coastal Health was a close second with 967 new cases. Island Health reported 219 new cases, Interior Health had 188 and there were 66 new cases in Northern Health, according to today’s COVID-19 update.

    There are currently 10,415 active cases of the virus in the province — another pandemic record.

    The majority of active cases are in Vancouver Coastal Health (4,517) followed by Fraser Health (3,554), Island Health (1,274), Interior Health (778) and Northern Health (236).

    Officials also updated the number of cases where the Omicron variant of concern has been detected. So far that number is 1,613.

    There are now two health-care facility outbreaks with a new outbreak being reported at Ridgeview Lodge in Interior Health. The outbreak at Lions Gate Hospital is ongoing.

    — Cayley Dobie

    New testing site opens at UBC

    Vancouver Coastal Health announced Friday that it opened a new COVID-19 testing site at the UBC Life Sciences Centre “in response to increasing demand for COVID-19 testing across the region.”

    The site, located at 2350 Health Sciences Mall in Vancouver, will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.

    The location will also be providing rapid antigen tests to those with symptoms.

    In a press conference Friday morning, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the province hit its testing capacity Thursday when it administered 20,000 COVID-19 PCR tests.

    Henry is asking that only people with symptoms go get tested and encouraging those who are not at high risk of severe illness to assume they have COVID-19 and stay home and isolate.

    — Cayley Dobie

    B.C. health officer asks residents to change holiday plans if feeling unwell

    British Columbia has hit its COVID-19 testing capacity as the provincial health officer asked residents to not get tested unless they have symptoms.

    Dr. Bonnie Henry says the province administered 20,000 COVID-19 PCR tests on Thursday.

    She says if someone develops symptoms then they need to adjust holiday plans and self-isolate.

    As a result of hitting the testing capacity, Henry says health staff are prioritizing those most at risk and giving take-home antigen tests to younger people at less risk.

    She says B.C. is in a “different pandemic” as a result of the Omicron variant.

    Health Minister Adrian Dix says the province expects to give out 147,371 vaccinations from Dec. 22 to Jan. 2.

    Watch the press conference below:

    We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

    — Canadian Press

    Simon Fraser, UVic, UNBC plan virtual start to university term as pandemic surges

    Simon Fraser University and the universities of Victoria and Northern B.C. have followed the University of British Columbia and announced plans to start the upcoming term with online instruction for most courses.

    SFU and UVic says classes will begin Jan. 10 with two weeks of online classes, although labs, clinical and performance courses will continue in-person with safety protocols.

    UNBC says the semester will begin as scheduled on Jan. 5, and all first classes of any course between Jan. 5 and Jan. 11 will be delivered online.

    All three universities say campus resources, including libraries, student housing and dining services will remain open with current safety plans in place.

    The University of B.C. said earlier this week that most of its classes will be offered online between Jan. 10 and 24.

    Numerous other post-secondary institutions across the country have either delayed the start of their terms or announced virtual classes to launch the new year.

    — Canadian Press

    B.C. reports more than 2,000 new cases in 24 hours

    B.C. health officials reported 2,046 new cases of COVID-19 today, the highest one-day increase since the beginning of the pandemic.

    The majority of new cases were reported in Vancouver Coastal Health, with 880 new cases, and Fraser Health, with 741 new cases. Island Health reported 248 new cases, Interior Health had 123 new cases and Northern Health had 53, according to a statement from health officials. There was one new case in someone who normally resides outside Canada.

    The number of active cases also jumped to 8,739, with Vancouver Coastal Health leading the way with 3,729 active cases followed by Fraser Health with 2,825, Island Health with 1,267, Interior Health with 699 and Northern Health with 217. There are two active cases in people who normally reside outside Canada.

    One more COVID-related death was also reported today in Island Health for a total of 2,410 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

    There have been 975 cases of the Omicron variant reported in B.C. so far.

    — Cayley Dobie

    B.C. businesses get a max $10,000 boost from province to battle Omicron restrictions

    The B.C. government has announced a onetime support program offering up to $10,000 to businesses ordered closed as a result of the Omicron shutdown.

    Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon said Thursday the supports are aimed at complementing what was announced by the federal government yesterday, while acknowledging the closure orders come “at a very challenging time of year” for many businesses.

    “It’s fair to say that we’re all exhausted by COVID-19, but COVID-19 is not done with us,” he said.

    B.C.’s top doctor Bonnie Henry announced earlier in the week that gyms, fitness studios, dance studios, yoga centres, bars and nightclubs will be ordered closed until at least Jan. 18 because of the swift rise of cases sparked by the infectious Omicron variant.

    The federal government followed up with a support program as B.C., Ontario and several other provinces announced lockdown orders or capacity limits at certain types of businesses.

    — Joe Ruttle

    B.C. MAP OF WEEKLY COVID CASE COUNTS, VACCINATION RATES

    Find out how your neighbourhood is doing in the battle against COVID-19 with the latest number of new cases, positivity rates, and vaccination rates:

    B.C. VACCINE TRACKER

    LOCAL RESOURCES for COVID-19 information

    Here are a number of information and landing pages for COVID-19 from various health and government agencies.

    • B.C. COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool

    • Vancouver Coastal Health – Information on Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

    • HealthLink B.C. – Coronavirus (COVID-19) information page

    • B.C. Centre for Disease Control – Novel coronavirus (COVID-19)

    • Government of Canada – Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Outbreak update

    • World Health Organization – Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak

    –with files from The Canadian Press

    Comments

    Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

  • Stars nearly back to 100{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} health; latest update on forward Tanner Kero

    Stars nearly back to 100{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} health; latest update on forward Tanner Kero

    Stars ahead Tanner Kero continues to be at property in the NHL’s concussion protocol, mentor Rick Bowness claimed Monday early morning prior to Dallas hosted Minnesota.

    “Tanner’s doing Alright,” Bowness mentioned. “He’s at property resting. He’s less than the NHL concussion protocol, he’s resting, he’s experience a lot superior and we’ll let him take as a lot time as he requires to appear all around. At minimum he’s going to be Okay. That is the greatest information we can have.”

    Kero was taken to and launched from the healthcare facility on Saturday evening immediately after he was hit by Chicago forward Brett Connolly in the to start with period of time of the Stars’ eventual 4-3 overtime gain. Connolly was suspended four game titles for the strike, and was assessed a 5-minute major for interference and a recreation misconduct on Saturday.

    Wholesome Stars: The Stars are shut to being again to 100{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} after a mixture of accidents and ailment ran by the workforce in the previous month. On Monday early morning, Kero was the only participant missing from morning skate, as Joel Kiviranta skated with the crew for the very first time considering the fact that he played on Dec. 11 in San Jose.

    Bowness explained Kiviranta (upper-body injury) need to be cleared by Thursday’s match in Chicago.

    As for the cold that built its way as a result of the Stars’ dressing space, Bowness thinks the Stars are nearly by it. The non-COVID-associated health issues pressured 6 distinctive gamers to skip video games in the very last month: Andrej Sekera (Nov. 20), John Klingberg (Dec. 2), Michael Raffl (Dec. 6), Roope Hintz (Dec. 11 and 14), Alexander Radulov (Dec. 14) and Miro Heiskanen (Dec. 18).

    “That cold knocked the heck out of us for a 7 days to 10 days,” Bowness claimed. “It went as a result of the space and then it came back. There’s no concern that hurts. Right now, we’re experience far better. There’s much more electrical power, I can see it. When the players are coming off the ice right after shifts, they’re recovering faster. I can see that.

    “The worst of that is ideally driving us. We’ve mentioned that prior to, and it arrived back again and bit us yet again a small bit. At this place, we’re sensation very good.”

    Only clearly show in town: Monday night’s Wild-Stars activity is the only NHL sport scheduled as the other four game titles on the docket ended up all postponed owing to COVID-19.

    Canadiens-Islanders and Ducks-Oilers ended up postponed on Sunday as the NHL paused cross-border travel. Colorado’s shutdown pushed back again Avalanche-Purple Wings, and Columbus’ shutdown did the exact same for Blue Jackets-Sabres.

    The Stars do not have any players in COVID-19 protocol. Only just one participant all season has been put in COVID-19 protocol, as Jani Hakanpää was sidelined for a few days in late Oct for a fake positive.

    Stars projected lineup vs. Minnesota on Monday, 7:30 p.m.

    Jason Robertson – Roope Hintz – Joe Pavelski

    Denis Gurianov – Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin

    Michael Raffl – Radek Faksa – Luke Glendening

    Riley Tufte – Jacob Peterson – Alexander Radulov

    Ryan Suter – John Klingberg

    Esa Lindell – Miro Heiskanen

    Thomas Harley – Jani Hakanpää

    Jake Oettinger

    Braden Holtby

    Scratches: Andrej Sekera, Joel Hanley, Tanner Kero (concussion protocol).

    IR: Joel Kiviranta (higher-overall body).

    LTIR: Ben Bishop (knee).

    +++

    Crews clean and prepare to cover the Dallas Stars ice after all NHL were suspended due to coronavirus on Thursday, March 12, 2020 at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

    Obtain a lot more Stars coverage from The Dallas Early morning Information below.

  • COVID-19 update for Nov. 20-21: Here’s the latest on coronavirus in BC

    COVID-19 update for Nov. 20-21: Here’s the latest on coronavirus in BC

    Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C.

    Author of the article:

    Tiffany Crawford, David Carrigg

    Publishing date:

    Nov 20, 2021  •  16 hours ago  •  5 minute read  •  6 Comments

    Here's your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C.
    Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C. Photo by Gilnature /iStock/Getty Images

    Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C. for Nov. 20-21, 2021.

    We’ll provide summaries of what’s going on in B.C. right here so you can get the latest news at a glance. This page will be updated regularly throughout the day, with developments added as they happen.

    Check back here for more updates throughout the day. You can also get the latest COVID-19 news delivered to your inbox weeknights at 7 p.m. by subscribing to our newsletter here.

    B.C.’S COVID-19 CASE NUMBERS

    As of the latest figures given on Nov. 19:

    • Total number of confirmed cases: 214,636 (3,420 active)
    • New cases since Nov. 18: 497
    • Total deaths: 2,293 (three additional deaths)
    • Hospitalized cases: 358
    • Intensive care: 109
    • Total vaccinations: 4,209,651 received first dose; 4,034,962 second doses
    • Recovered from acute infection: 208,702
    • Long-term care and assisted-living homes, and acute care facilities currently affected: 21

    IN-DEPTH:   Here are all the B.C. cases of the novel coronavirus in 2021 | in 2020

    B.C. GUIDES AND LINKS

    • COVID-19: Here’s everything you need to know about the novel coronavirus

    • COVID-19: B.C.’s vaccine passport is here and this is how it works

    • COVID-19: Here’s how to get your vaccination shot in B.C.

    • COVID-19: Look up your neighbourhood in our interactive map of case and vaccination rates in B.C.

    • COVID-19: Afraid of needles? Here’s how to overcome your fear and get vaccinated

    • COVID-19: Five things to know about the P1 variant spreading in B.C.

    • COVID-19: Here’s where to get tested in Metro Vancouver

    • B.C. COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool

    LATEST NEWS on COVID-19 in B.C.

    Three more deaths, a new outbreak in health-care setting

    B.C. reported 497 new cases of COVID-19 and three more deaths on Friday, pushing the death toll from the virus to 2,293.

    The Health Ministry says 3,420 infections are active across the province, including 358 people in hospital, with 109 in intensive care.

    It says 87 per cent of eligible B.C. residents aged 12 and up have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, while nearly 91 per cent have had one.

    British Columbia reported 497 new cases of COVID-19 Friday and three additional deaths.

    Of the new cases, 138 were in the Fraser Health region, 64 were in Vancouver Coastal Health, 146 were in Interior Health, 78 were in Northern Health and 71 were in Island Health, provincial health officials said in a statement.

    The deaths occurred to persons in the Fraser Health, Vancouver Coastal Health and Northern Health regions.

    Also Friday, a new COVID-19 outbreak was reported in Northern Health’s Laurier Manor assisted-living facility while an outbreak in Fraser Health’s Rosemary Heights Seniors Village had been declared over.

    – Sarah Grochowski

    Quebec zoo hoping to vaccinate wild animals against COVID-19 over coming weeks

    After millions of Quebecers rolled up their sleeves for COVID-19 vaccines, it could soon be zoo animals’ turn to get the shot.

    The Granby Zoo, east of Montreal, says it is hoping in the coming weeks or months to vaccinate against COVID-19 about 90 animals, including gorillas, big cats and other creatures deemed susceptible to the disease. The vaccines are in the United States awaiting clearance to Canada.

    “Hopefully, we can start at least a few species by Christmas. I’m crossing my fingers for that,” Emilie Couture, a veterinarian with the zoo, said in a recent interview.

    She said the zoo is planning to vaccinate the species that appear to be the most vulnerable to COVID-19. Primates and big cats such as tigers, jaguars and leopards top the list, she said, adding that the zoo is also including some other mammals such as red pandas.

    There has been a “worrying” rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in North American zoos, especially among large felines such as lions and leopards, Couture said. Last week, three snow leopards died at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo, in Nebraska, of complications from COVID-19 — an event that she said shocked the North American zoo community.

    —The Canadian Press

    Ottawa to drop need for COVID-19 test after short-term U.S. visits as of Nov. 30

    The federal government says that as of Nov. 30, fully vaccinated Canadians and permanent residents who are visiting the United States for less than 72 hours won’t need a costly molecular test for COVID-19 in order to return home.

    The Public Health Agency of Canada also says that by the end of the month, travellers who received the Sinopharm, Sinovac and Covaxin vaccines will be considered fully vaccinated for travel purposes.

    Critics in both countries have been complaining for weeks about the need for what’s known as a PCR test, which can run between $150-$300 per swab, saying it’s a major deterrent to the resumption of cross-border travel.

    Travellers who are out of the country for more than 72 hours, however, will still be required to present a negative molecular test at the border on their way home.

    —The Canadian Press

    B.C. health officials welcome approval of vaccine for kids

    B.C.’s provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix are welcoming the news that Health Health Canada has approved Pfizer’s COVID-19 pediatric vaccine for children aged five to 11.

    “The rigorous review confirms that this first vaccine formulated for younger children is safe and effective,” they said, in a joint statement Friday.

    “We look forward to making the pediatric vaccine available for 360,000 young British Columbians as soon as possible.”

    Henry and Dix said while children are at a lower risk of severe disease from COVID-19, it can still result in serious outcomes in some children, including hospitalization and long-term symptoms.

    B.C. parents and guardians can register their children to get vaccinated at  www.getvaccinated.gov.bc.ca    or by calling 1 833 838-2323 toll-free.

    Already, more than 75,000 children have been registered for their vaccine and are on the list to be contacted to book an appointment and get their COVID-19 paediatric vaccine, according to the government.

    —Tiffany Crawford

    Health Canada approves first COVID-19 vaccine for kids 5 to 11

    Health Canada has approved the first COVID-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11 in Canada.

    Pfizer and its partner BioNTech submitted a request for approval of a child-sized dose of its mRNA vaccine for COVID-19 on Oct. 18.

    The companies say the results of their trials in children show comparable safety and efficacy to those recorded in a previous Pfizer-BioNTech study in people aged 16 to 25.

    After a thorough review of the data, the department has determined the benefits of the vaccine for children between five and 11 years of age outweigh the risks, Health Canada said in a statement Friday.

    B.C. MAP OF WEEKLY COVID CASE COUNTS, VACCINATION RATES

    Find out how your neighbourhood is doing in the battle against COVID-19 with the latest number of new cases, positivity rates, and vaccination rates:

    B.C. VACCINE TRACKER

    LOCAL RESOURCES for COVID-19 information

    Here are a number of information and landing pages for COVID-19 from various health and government agencies.

    • B.C. COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool

    • Vancouver Coastal Health – Information on Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

    • HealthLink B.C. – Coronavirus (COVID-19) information page

    • B.C. Centre for Disease Control – Novel coronavirus (COVID-19)

    • Government of Canada – Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Outbreak update

    • World Health Organization – Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak

    –with files from The Canadian Press

    Comments

    Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.