COVID-19 update: B.C. adds 120 cases, 1 related death
B.C. health officials announced 120 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, and one death related to the disease.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix provided Thursday's update in a live briefing from Victoria.
They said there are now 1,451 active cases of the coronavirus in B.C. That total includes 131 people who are hospitalized, and 44 of those are in intensive care units.
Those totals represent a slight decrease in total hospitalizations, but a slight increase in ICU admissions over the last 24 hours.
The latest numbers bring B.C.'s rolling seven-day average for daily new cases to 114, which is the lowest it's been since Oct. 4.
B.C. has now administered 4,231,871 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, including enough first doses to partially immunize 76.5 per cent of adults in the province.
Among B.C. residents ages 12 and older, 74.8 per cent have now had at least one dose of vaccine.
Second doses have been ramping up in recent weeks, and B.C. has now fully immunized 768,008 people, Henry said Thursday.
She dedicated a portion of her remarks to reacting to new guidance from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, which announced Thursday that it was recommending a messenger RNA vaccine as a second dose for those whose first dose was the AstraZeneca viral vector vaccine.
Henry said the update was "not surprising," given that studies are beginning to show evidence that having one dose of each type of vaccine generates a better immune response in the person being immunized.
At the same time, the provincial health officer said B.C. would not be changing its guidance for second doses of AstraZeneca.
"Mixing an mRNA after a dose of AstraZeneca may give some boost to the immune system, but we don't know whether that translates into whether you're better protected or not," Henry said. "We don't know that definitively and we may not know that for some time. As a result, here in B.C., our advice has not changed: You make the choice that is right for you, because all the vaccines that we have for use here in B.C. are safe and highly effective."
The new infections announced Thursday bring B.C. to a total of 146,794 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. Of those, 143,579 people - or roughly 98 per cent of those infected - have recovered from the disease.
Most of Thursday's new cases were found in the Lower Mainland, with 13 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region and 53 in Fraser Health.
Elsewhere in B.C., Interior Health had the largest increase, with 43 new infections identified. Island Health and Northern Health each saw five new cases, while one person who tested positive normally resides outside Canada.
The person who died in the last 24 hours was in their 80s and contracted the coronavirus in the outbreak that recently ended at Richmond Hospital, Henry said.
She also announced the end of a COVID-19 outbreak at Cherington Place in Surrey, leaving the province with three active outbreaks in long-term care and assisted-living facilities.
As of the most recent update on care home caseloads from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, a total of 28 people had tested positive in the Cherington Place outbreak, and four residents had died.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Toronto police seek suspect vehicle after security guard shot outside Drake's mansion
Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake's mansion.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.