Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry speaks to reporters from Vancouver as Health Minister Adrian Dix looks on Dec. 29, 2020.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED / Province of B.C.
March 16, 2021 - 3:57 PM
B.C. health officials are reporting 556 new cases of COVID-19, 16 of which within Interior Health, for a total of 88,929 since the start of the pandemic.
There are 4,999 active cases and 280 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, with 84 of whom are in intensive care. There have been no new COVID-19 related deaths, for a total of 1,407 since the start of the pandemic.
There have been 116 new confirmed COVID-19 cases that are variants of concern identified in the last day, for a total of 996 cases. Of the total cases, 130 are active and the remaining people have recovered. This includes 921 cases of the B.1.1.7 (U.K.) variant, 41 cases of the B.1.351 (South Africa) variant and 34 cases of the P.1 (Brazil) variant.
To date, 424,517 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca-SII COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in B.C., 87,070 of which are second doses. Vaccine appointment bookings are open for people over 83, adding one year each day this week for people 80 and older by the end of the week, along with Indigenous peoples over 65.
"We are all excited to get our COVID-19 vaccine, as not only do they provide protection, but also bring hope and renewal for all of us," provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a press release today, March 16.
"Already, health officials have been able to accelerate availability for older citizens and we hope to be able to continue to push forward at this pace."
As vaccines roll out, the province is starting to turn the dial to restart activities that have been on pause, starting with outdoor activities that are safer.
"We must continue to be cautious in our approach to achieving the right balance, moving slowly to ensure we don't give the virus the opportunity to surge," Dr. Henry and Minister Dix said.
"A reminder for those who celebrate St. Patrick's Day to do so safely and in line with the provincial health officer's orders. That means that the last call at restaurants, pubs and liquor stores will be at 8 p.m. on March 17, to protect our businesses and the people who work in them."
There have been139 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 331 new cases in the Fraser Health region, 27 in the Island Health region, 16 in the Interior Health region, 41 in the Northern Health region and two new cases of people who reside outside of Canada.
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