Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know about the novel coronavirus situation in BC
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Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know about the novel coronavirus situation in British Columbia for September 30, 2021.
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We will provide summaries of what is happening in BC right here so you can get the latest news at a glance. This page will be updated periodically throughout the day, and updates will be added as they happen.
Check back here for more updates throughout the day. You can also get the latest COVID-19 news delivered to your inbox on weekends at 7pm by signing up for our newsletter. here.
BC COVID-19 CASE NUMBERS
According to the latest figures given on September 29:
• Total number of confirmed cases: 186,245 (6,185 active cases)
• New cases since September 28: 813
• Total deaths: 1953 (11 additional deaths)
• Hospitalized cases: 340
• Intensive care: 146 (up to five)
• Total vaccinations: 4,074,112 received the first dose; 3,745,457 second doses
• Recovered from acute infection: 177,729
• Long-term care and assisted living homes and acute care facilities currently affected: 22
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IN DEEP:Here are all the cases of BC from the new coronavirus in 2021 | in 2020
BC GUIDES AND LINKS
• COVID-19: Here is everything you need to know about the new coronavirus
• COVID-19: Here’s how to get vaccinated in British Columbia
• COVID-19: Find your neighborhood on our interactive map of cases and vaccination rates in BC
• COVID-19: Fear of needles? Here’s how to get over your fear and get vaccinated
• COVID-19: Five things to know about the spread of the P1 variant in BC
• COVID-19: Here are all the BC cases of the new coronavirus in 2021
• COVID-19: Have you been exposed? Here are all the BC public health alerts
• COVID-19 in BC schools: here are the school district’s exposure alerts
• COVID-19: Avoid These Recalled Hand Sanitizers in Canada
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• COVID-19: Here’s where to get tested in Metro Vancouver
• BC COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool
LATEST NEWS on COVID-19 in BC
COVID Vaccine Combination Offers High Level of Protection – BCCDC Data
The mix-and-match approach used to administer COVID-19 vaccines to some people appears to give high levels of immunity against the new coronavirus, according to a BC study.
The BC Center for Disease Control study examined the levels of protection offered by two doses of an mRNA vaccine, two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, or a combination of the two types.
It found that all the combinations reduced the risk of hospitalization for COVID-19 by more than 90 percent.
Protection was greatest among people who received two doses of an mRNA vaccine, Pfizer or Moderna, or a mixed AstraZeneca and mRNA vaccine.
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The risk of infection among those who received mRNA injections and those who received a mixed dose was reduced by between 91 and 92 percent, according to the study.
The risk of hospitalization was reduced by 99 percent for those who received a mixed dose, one point more than those who received only mRNA vaccines.
-Cheryl Chan
Bad day for COVID-19 in BC on Wednesday
It was a bad day for the COVID-19 numbers on Wednesday, with an increase in daily cases, active cases, hospitalizations and 11 deaths reported.
According to the British Columbia Ministry of Health, 813 cases were identified on Tuesday (reported Wednesday), increasing the seven-day average daily case count, and active cases from 5,992 to 6,185.
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 increased from 24 cases to 340 and the number of people in intensive care increased from five to 146.
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Eleven people died, bringing that number to 1,953.
This occurs despite the fact that 80.8 percent of all British Columbia residents age 12 and older are now fully vaccinated. 6,050 first doses were administered on Tuesday.
YouTube blocks all anti-vaccine content
YouTube will block all anti-vaccine content, going beyond its ban on false information about COVID vaccines to include content that contains misinformation about other approved vaccines, it said in a blog post Wednesday.
Examples of content that will not be allowed on YouTube include claims that the flu vaccine causes infertility and that the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella, can cause autism, according to YouTube policies.
The Alphabet Inc-owned online video company is also banning channels associated with several prominent anti-vaccine activists, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Joseph Mercola, a YouTube spokesperson said.
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The moves come as YouTube and other tech giants like Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. have come under fire for not doing enough to stop the spread of false health information on their sites.
– Reuters
BC Parents, Teachers, and Unions Call on School Districts to Announce Mask Mandates
Vancouver School District’s extension of a masks mandate that will include students in kindergarten through third grade starting Monday has prompted calls for more British Columbia districts to follow suit in the absence of a public health order in the whole province.
The Vancouver district informed parents of the change in a letter Wednesday after a unanimous vote by board members concerned about the increase in COVID-19 cases among children.
Vancouver School District President Carmen Cho said in the letter that requiring all students to wear masks will provide an additional layer of protection to limit the spread of the virus.
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The Surrey Board of Education issued a press release Wednesday saying it would also require masks for all district students, from kindergarten through 12th grade, starting Monday. The board said it is partnering with Fraser Health to consider hosting vaccination clinics to increase vaccination rates.
Provincial health official Dr. Bonnie Henry has resisted requests from parents and teachers that face coverings be mandatory for all students, saying that ventilation and limitations to intermingle between classes at different grades are also important factors in schools.
Read more here.
-The Canadian press
BC MAP OF WEEKLY COVID CASE RECORDS, VACCINATION RATES
Find out how your neighborhood is doing in the battle against COVID-19 with the latest number of new cases, positivity rates, and vaccination rates:
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BC VACCINES FOLLOW-UP
LOCAL RESOURCES for information on COVID-19
Here is a host of information and landing pages for COVID-19 from various health and government agencies.
• BC COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool
• Vancouver Coastal Health – Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Information
• HealthLink BC – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information Page
• BC Center for Disease Control – Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Government of Canada – Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): Outbreak Update
• World Health Organization – Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak
–With files from The Canadian Press
Reference-vancouversun.com