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December 24, 2021 - 1:00 PM
With the Omicron variant of COVID-19 tearing through the Lower Mainland but hanging back from the Interior Health region, local residents don't seem all that keen on getting immunized.
The Interior Health region has always lagged behind the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island in vaccination rates. Now they’re leaving thousands of vaccination opportunities unbooked.
“We did 106,000 (vaccinations) from Monday, Dec. 20 to last night,” Health Minister Adrian Dix said during a news briefing today, Dec. 24. “We still have unbooked capacity and we’re urging people to book when they receive their invitation. As of yesterday, spots that were not booked includes, this week, 7,000, and next week 25,000, of which 14,000 are in the Interior.”
That means more than half of vaccination appointment slots in B.C. are in the Interior Health region.
There were 2,046 cases of COVID in B.C. yesterday, with half expected to be of the highly contagious Omicron variant. That’s the third consecutive record-setting day.
Ten days earlier, on Dec. 13, just as Omicron was first being detected in B.C., there were only 349 cases.
READ MORE: B.C.'s top health officer wants you to be COVID safe for Christmas
The Interior Health region has, so far, avoided any marked increase in daily case counts during that period, with 123 recorded yesterday. That could change quickly.
Most of those infected with Omicron are in the 19- to 39-year-old age group and so far the rate of hospitalization has stayed steady but that, too, could change quickly.
What is being overwhelmed is the testing sites that are capable of doing 20,000 tests a day. Contact tracers are also being challenged by the high case counts.
People can book booster shots as soon as they are notified that they are eligible, or book first or second doses at Get Vaccinated B.C. here.
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