Critics call on B.C. to fill gaps in COVID-19 information amid 6th wave
With COVID-19 hospitalizations climbing, a group of B.C. doctors is raising concerns around the elderly and others vulnerable to the virus, saying it’s unknown how many of them have been offered a second booster shot.
While fewer masks and more people out in public might suggest otherwise, the province is in the middle of a sixth wave of COVID-19.
“And based on what we’re seeing in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta, this is not going to be a small wave,” said Dr. Lyne Filiatrault, a retired emergency physician and member of the COVID-19 watchdog group Protect our Province British Columbia (PoP BC).
The most recent data from the provincial government shows there were 570 COVID hospitalizations as of April 28, which is more than double the number from just a month earlier. Cases continue to climb the fastest for people aged 80 and older. With pandemic safety measures lifted, Filiatrault says seniors and many others are at risk.
“We basically are exposing the most vulnerable in our community to the virus and they are seeing the consequences of that with more hospitalization.”
One layer of protection against serious infection in seniors and people considered clinically extremely vulnerable is a second booster shot. In early April, the province announced fourth doses were being offered, including to people over 70 and the immunocompromised. However, Filiatrault says there’s no way of knowing the progress of the fourth dose rollout, because the province no longer provides that information.
“For accountability purposes, (the provincial government) should be telling us where they’re at with the rollout of the fourth dose for residential care, long-term care, and for the most vulnerable in the community,” said Filiatrault.
For several weeks now, the province has provided weekly COVID-19 updates instead of daily briefings. With the testing strategy having changed, the provided data is not as detailed as it used to be. Analysts and researchers say it’s now nearly impossible to make predictions on where the pandemic is headed in B.C.
“There is a great deal of effort on the government’s side to hide COVID under the rug,” said Damien Contandriopoulos, a professor and public health researcher at the University of Victoria. “To talk as little as possible about COVID and dismiss the gravity of the situation.”
Another layer of protection for high-risk COVID-19 patients is Paxlovid, an antiviral pill designed to prevent hospitalizations. CTV News has learned B.C. has 32,000 rounds of Paxlovid, but has only administered approximately 2,500, due to limited eligibility.
“Plus there’s the issue of how you can access it if you don’t have a family doctor,” added Filiatrault.
As for COVID-19 transmission, take-home rapid tests are the only testing method for most British Columbians. With the province not collecting the results, it’s hard to know how far-reaching this latest wave of the pandemic will be.
With files from CTV's Ian Holliday and Penny Daflos
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.