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
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.