COVID-19 update: B.C. adds 56 cases, tops 1M people fully vaccinated
More than one million B.C. residents have received both doses of COVID-19 vaccine, health officials revealed Tuesday while announcing just 56 new cases across the province.
Health-care workers have administered 4,511,923 shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines so far, including enough first doses for 77.7 per cent of B.C.'s adult population.
Some 1,001,192 of the shots have been second doses, providing the additional antibody protection that officials have said is crucial for getting life back to normal.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry marked the milestone from Prince George, where she stressed the importance of getting vaccinated even in smaller communities that have seen lower levels of transmission.
"The risks may be smaller with fewer people coming and going, but we also know that communities across the north are very connected," Henry said. "And as we have seen, if the unwelcome guest of COVID-19 enters a community, it can have a tremendous and sometimes devastating impact."
The vaccination rate in several regions of the north remains well below the provincial average, including Peace River North, where just 51 per cent of adults had received a shot as of June 17, the most recent data available from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.
Henry acknowledged there has been less easy access to vaccine in the north, and encouraged residents to contact the Northern Health Authority with suggestions for events or gatherings "where a pop-up clinic or a mobile clinic would work in your community."
"We can bring vaccine to those who need it and who haven't had a chance yet," the provincial health officer said.
Case numbers have been plummeting for weeks, with B.C.'s seven-day average dropping from a record of 1,130 back in April to just 90 as of Tuesday.
The active caseload has dropped to 1,150 – the lowest it's been since Sept. 2 – while hospitalizations increasing slightly to 111, including 41 people in intensive care.
Henry said the outbreak at Heritage Manor II, an assisted living facility in Fort St. John, has ended, leaving just three active outbreaks in care homes and acute care centres across the province.
Of all the people who have tested positive for COVID-19 across the province so far, about 98 per cent have recovered.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.