People in British Columbia are reminded to get vaccinated with a bivalent COVID-19 booster for the most effective protection against the Omicron variants of COVID-19.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer (PHO), has issued the following statement to welcome new doctors to British Columbia’s public health leadership team:

As the province’s drug toxicity public health emergency continues into its eighth year, at least 2,272 British Columbians lost their lives to toxic drugs in 2022. 

Beginning Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, emergency operation centres (EOCs) will be reactivated in health authorities to ensure patients continue to have access to the hospital care services they need as respiratory illness season continues in B.C.

People bringing forward human rights claims will have better access to justice through increased funding for the BC Human Rights Tribunal and the Community Legal Assistance Society.

The Mid-Year Progress Report on B.C.’s Surgical Renewal Commitment to patients shows that surgery volumes are exceeding pre-pandemic levels, and almost all surgeries postponed by multiple waves of COVID-19 have now been completed.

People living in long-term-care and assisted-living facilities will continue receiving high-quality care from fairly compensated workers as the Province renews its commitment to temporarily fund wage increases for staff working in the sector.

More than 77,500 people were vaccinated against influenza from Dec. 5 to Dec. 11, 2022, including 42,582 people who were vaccinated during the weekend’s influenza-vaccine walk-in clinic blitz.