Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, and Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, have issued the following joint statement regarding updates on the COVID-19 response in British Columbia:
“Today, we are reporting that 74.2% of all adults in B.C. and 71.9% of those 12 and older have now received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. In total, 3,685,340 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in B.C., 345,508 of which are second doses.
“We have had 165 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 145,695 cases in British Columbia.
“Of the new cases, 30 are in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 78 are in the Fraser Health region, 10 are in the Island Health region, 42 are in the Interior Health region and five are in the Northern Health region.
“There are currently 2,051 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. A further 141,879 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 203 individuals are currently hospitalized, 57 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation.
“The outbreak at Brookside Lodge is now over.
“There have been no new COVID-19 related deaths, for a total of 1,722 deaths in British Columbia. Our condolences are with the family, friends and caregivers of the people who have died as a result of COVID-19.
“It is very encouraging to see a steady increase in the number of people in our province who are protected with a COVID-19 vaccine. And now, more and more people are fully vaccinated with both of their doses.
“For those who received the AstraZeneca vaccine for your first dose, you have a choice. There is no wrong choice to make. Whether you choose a second AstraZeneca vaccine or have an mRNA vaccine instead, all of our vaccines are safe and highly effective.
“Take the time to think through your options so you are ready when your eight weeks come up, and it is your turn. Whether you return to your pharmacy or go to a mass clinic for an mRNA vaccine, there is enough vaccine for everyone.
“There is so much to gain from the progress we are making, so let’s keep pushing to get as many people as possible fully vaccinated as soon as we can.”
Learn More:
BC’s Restart plan
To see the May 25, 2021, presentation, visit: http://news.gov.bc.ca/files/BCRestartPlan.pdf
The latest vaccine information:
For information on getting your second dose: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vaccine/dose-2
Register for your vaccine now: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vaccine/register Or call 1 833 838-2323
For vaccine information, visit the BCCDC dashboard: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/data Or: www.bccdc.ca
Provincial health officer's orders and guidance:
To see the May 20, 2021, presentation, visit: http://news.gov.bc.ca/files/20210520_PHO-Presentation.pdf
Guidance on restrictions: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/covid-19-provincial-support/restrictions
The latest updates, guidance and information on COVID-19, and where to get tested:
The latest medical updates, including case counts, prevention, risks and to find a testing centre near you: http://www.bccdc.ca/
Or follow @CDCofBC on Twitter.
Mental health support:
Mental health and anxiety support: www.bouncebackbc.ca
Or: www.anxietycanada.com
Or: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/about-covid-19/mental-well-being-during-covid-19
Or: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/managing-your-health/mental-health-substance-use/virtual-supports-covid-19
Non-health related information:
Financial, child care and education support, travel, transportation and essential service information: www.gov.bc.ca/covid19
Or call 1 888 COVID19 (1 888 268-4319) between 7:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. (Pacific time), seven days a week.
COVID-19 exposure events, updates and information by health authority:
BCCDC (flights, work sites, etc): http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/public-exposures
Fraser Health: fraserhealth.ca/covid19exposure
Interior Health: https://news.interiorhealth.ca/news/public-exposures/
Island Health: https://www.islandhealth.ca/learn-about-health/covid-19/outbreaks-and-exposures
Northern Health: https://www.northernhealth.ca/health-topics/outbreaks-and-exposures
Vancouver Coastal Health: http://www.vch.ca/covid-19/public-exposures
For the latest videos and livestreaming of COVID-19 media availabilities, visit:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BCProvincialGovernment/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BCGovNews
YouTube: www.youtube.com/ProvinceofBC
Two backgrounders follow.