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
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.