B.C. records more than 3,200 COVID-19 cases over the weekend

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – It was another weekend of high daily COVID-19 case counts in B.C., with 3,289 cases over three days.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says between Friday and Saturday, there were 1,283 positive test results. Another 1,036 infections were recorded between Saturday and Sunday. In the 24 hours before Monday’s news conference, another 970 cases were confirmed.

There are 368 people hospitalized with COVID-19, including 121 who are in the ICU.

Over the past three days, 18 more people have died.

“This is, I don’t need to say, our third wave, and knowing this, we need to chart our best path forward to manage this wave in British Columbia,” Henry said.

BC #covid19 Apr 12
Sat 1283,Sun 1036,Mon 970
18 deaths-1513 total
3289 new- total 112829
Recovered 101216
VCH(27303)+740
FH(62447)+1957
Int(9295)+299
Island(3872)+167
North(6442)+125
Hosp/ICU(332/102)368/121
Active(9573)9937
Monitor(15673)15900#bcpoli @news1130

— LizaYuzda (@LizaYuzda) April 12, 2021

On the vaccine front, more than 1.1 million doses have been administered in B.C. so far.

Henry urges anyone who is eligible to receive an AstraZeneca vaccine at a B.C. pharmacy to get one.

“It is a safe and effective vaccine that’s been used in millions of people around the world. If you are older than 55 I strongly encourage you to get vaccinated, as soon as possible,” she says.

For the age-based vaccine rollout, British Columbians aged 55 and up (born in 1966 or earlier), as well as Indigenous peoples aged 18 and up (born in 2003 or earlier), can register online or by phone to book a vaccination appointment

On Wednesday, registration will open to those aged 50 and up. On Friday, it opens up to those aged 45 and up. By Monday, April 19, those aged 40 and up will be allowed to register.

All adults who live or work in Whistler are eligible now.

DBH pleading for patience as they work through priority groups of front line workers (in Surrey).
Appoac to the virus she says is to take have as much restricitons as we need to suppress the virus & keep hospitals/health care working #bcpoli @news1130 #covid19

— LizaYuzda (@LizaYuzda) April 12, 2021

On Monday, Henry again implored British Columbians to do their part to help stop transmission of the virus, including not travelling outside their local health authorities unless absolutely necessary.

“If you live in North Vancouver, you should not be traveling to Langley, or to Richmond. If you live in the Lower Mainland, you should not be traveling to the island. If you live in Penticton, you should not be going to Sun Peaks … or Kelowna right now. We need to only do those types of travel if it’s essential, and nothing more,” she said.

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Henry acknowledged that it is important to get outside for the sake of physical, emotional, and mental health.

“Everybody should go outside, every day, whether it’s in your backyard or your immediate neighborhood. Take your family. Take your pet. Find some time to go outside and stay small, and stay within your household, your work, or your school cohort. Only seeing a small number of people from outside your household outside is allowed, but it needs to be done in small ways, and we are discouraging even that, right now.”

A clearest indication of what the next few months will bring — DBH says in summer we will have opportunities to get togther. (That tells me we have a couple months to hang on)#bcpoli @news1130 #covid19

— LizaYuzda (@LizaYuzda) April 12, 2021

She offered a bit of hope that if British Columbians stay apart now, summer might be a different story.

“Let’s get together, do our part, today, tomorrow and next week, so we can get through this pandemic. And we can look towards the summer, when we’ll have opportunities to be together again,” she said.