Delta variant's spread through the unvaccinated remains B.C.'s focus: health minister
British Columbia's health minister says there's been a lot of attention paid to the new Omicron COVID-19 variant, but the focus should remain on the Delta variant because it continues to have a “profound impact” on people who are not vaccinated in the province.
Adrian Dix said the Delta variant is disproportionately affecting those who haven't been vaccinated, including most of the more than 150 people who have been moved from the Northern Health authority to southern hospitals.
The transfers are weighing down the health-care system because many of those people are in critical condition and require teams of health-care workers at every stage of their transport, Dix said during a separate news conference announcing the opening of a new urgent primary care centre in Cranbrook.
“We don't need Omicron to tell us to be cautious over Christmas. We just need to look at the Delta variant, which is here now and has a profound effect on all of us,” he said Monday. “This is a time when you should be concerned with the vaccination status of those around you and ensure that you stay safe right now.”
More than 50 per cent of people over 70 have received their booster shots, which equates to about 500,000 doses, the minister said.
Nearly 40 per cent of children aged five to 11 have been registered for their first vaccine and about 84 per cent of those who have registered have received an invitation to book a shot.
“We're pleased with how it's going. We're immunizing a lot of children and there's going to be a lot more as we go forward,” Dix said. “I want to encourage all parents to register their children because that's important.”
He said about 216 pharmacies across B.C. are currently administering COVID-19 immunizations, and that number will increase to about 1,000 by January.
“That's going to obviously increase our capacity and the number of immunizations we're going to have to give based on our strategy,” he said. “When you add 1,000 locations, that presents supply chain challenges and we're dealing with those, but it does allow our also our public clinics to focus on children and meet the challenge of immunizing the 349,000 children from five to 11 who are eligible.”
The B.C. Health Ministry reported 946 new cases over a three-day period on Monday. There were also 11 more deaths, for a total of 2,362 people who have died in the province since the pandemic started.
More than 85 per cent of those aged five and older in the province have had their first shot of vaccine, while 82 per cent have received their second dose.
Dix also said the announcement that pharmaceutical giant Merck is making an oral COVID-19 antiviral pill in Canada is good news because it will help those with moderate to severe symptoms, but it still shouldn't replace a vaccination.
“It'll be another tool in our arsenal once it's made generally available to us and we're very hopeful. That said, what we have to continue to do is to increase our vaccination program.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.