VICTORIA – 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 78.3% of all adults in B.C. and 77.0% of those 12 and older have now received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, 31.6% of all adults in B.C. and 29.5% of those 12 and older have received their second dose.
“In total, 4,941,795 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in B.C., 1,368,464 of which are second doses.
“We have had 29 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 147,578 cases in British Columbia.
“Of the new cases, seven are in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, seven are in the Fraser Health region, three are in the Island Health region, 10 are in the Interior Health region and two are of people who reside outside of Canada. There are no new cases in the Northern Health region.
“There are currently 876 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and a further 144,931 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 110 individuals are currently hospitalized, 34 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
“As our province continues to experience an unprecedented heatwave, it is important to take care of ourselves by staying cool and hydrated. It is just as important to look out for one another, and to reach out to those who may be more vulnerable to the heat, including seniors, those with underlying health issues and those who are unsheltered. To learn about ways to stay safe in the heat, see: www.bccdc.ca/about/news-
“There have been no new COVID-19 related deaths, for a total of 1,754 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.
“British Columbia continues to maintain our positive momentum, allowing our province to safely move forward with Step 3 of BC’s Restart plan. We have seen that community transmission, hospitalizations and deaths are all declining as immunizations are going up.
“Importantly, as the level of risk has decreased, we can now bridge from COVID-19 public health orders to safety guidance.
“Orders are no longer necessary in many settings. This will be reflected in the changes coming into effect on July 1, 2021. For full details, visit the provincial health officer’s website.
“This is a significant transition for all of us. So we encourage everyone to be respectful of others who may be moving at a slower pace, as we take this next step forward to put the COVID-19 pandemic behind us and make this a summer of hope and rejuvenation.”