Interior Health says more than 500 residents of Revelstoke are being advised to get an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine due to a storage issue. The health authority says it discovered that vaccine provided as 15 first doses and 501 second doses had been stored in an incorrect freezer and is considered invalid. Interior Health says the invalid vaccine does not pose a risk to the public and fortunately no one has contracted COVID-19 after receiving it. It’s apologizing for any concern or frustration the situation may cause but says it shows the vaccine monitoring system is working.
B-C says people who were not fully vaccinated accounted for 83.4 per cent of COVID-19 cases and 85.6 per cent of hospitalizations from August 9th to 22nd. The Health Ministry says just over three quarters of all eligible B-C residents are now fully vaccinated, while 83.3 per cent have received at least one dose. The province has reported 641 new cases of COVID-19, pushing the number of active infections over 53-hundred, including 138 people who are hospitalized. Interior Health continues to see the highest number of new cases and 38 per cent of overall active infections are located there.
The latest review of data by Fraser Health has found limited transmission of COVID-19 in schools in Surrey — even when variants of concern were present. The review of cases between January and June found that 90 per cent of those associated with schools in Surrey originated in households or the community. It also found variants of concern did not impact the size of clusters in schools in the spring — although the Delta variant was not yet prevalent and will be monitored when school resumes next month. The data was released as the B-C government announced a mask mandate will be back in place for students in Grade 4 and up when classes resume, though students will no longer be restricted to learning cohorts.
A new supportive housing building in Surrey is providing homes for people who are at-risk of or experiencing homelessness. The housing ministry says the Baird Blackstone Building has 6 permanent studio units, each with a private washroom and kitchenette. It says the housing complex is part of a commitment between the province and the City of Surrey to deliver 250 permanent homes in the community. Residents will start moving into the building on September 7th. The Force of Nature Society is celebrating after a B.C. Supreme Court justice granted an injunction on the 84 Avenue extension that skirts Surrey’s Bear Creek Park. On Monday (Aug. 23), according to a release from the society, Justice Heather MacNaughton issued the injunction following an all-day hearing on Aug. 19 where she issued an interim injunction until her decision. “The court determined that the Petitioners have raised serious questions to be tried. As the court stated in its reasons, ‘the irreparable harm alleged is environmental harm and all users of the public space known as Bear Creek Park, potentially all Surrey residents, and others users, may be affected. The Force of Nature Society, filed a petition with the B.C. Supreme Court against the City of Surrey in July asking the court to declare as parkland properties impacted by the 84th Avenue project. That petition will be heard by B.C. Supreme Court in a two-day hearing on Oct. 14 and 15.
B-C residents over the age of 12 will have until September 13th to receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and until October 24th to be fully vaccinated in order to access certain indoor settings through the province’s new vaccine card program. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the settings include indoor sports games, concerts, theatres events, gatherings such as weddings and conferences, restaurant dining, nightclubs, casinos and high-intensity fitness classes. Henry says the temporary measure will help reduce transmission and allow businesses and schools to stay open amid a spike in cases of the Delta variant. Premier John Horgan says the province has consulted with businesses such as restaurants, tourism operators and sports, arts and cultural organizations, and they all want to make sure patrons are confident in their safety.
R-C-M-P say one person is believed to be dead and another is injured after part of a building collapsed at a construction site in North Vancouver this morning. Sergeant Peter DeVries (de-VREEZ’) says fire and rescue crews determined one person had “catastrophic” injuries, but it was too dangerous to recover the body. Emergency Health Services says another person is in hospital in stable condition. DeVries says the collapse occurred during what appeared to be a “demolition in progress,” but he couldn’t confirm the type of work taking place at the building or the name of the company involved.
BC health officials announced 698 new test-positive COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the province to 161,969. In a written statement, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said that there are 5,356 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. Of the active cases, 139 individuals are currently hospitalized, 75 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation. New cases, as well as total active cases, broken down by health region are as follows:
- Fraser Health: 203 new cases, 1,294 total active cases
- Vancouver Coastal Health: 129 new cases, 1,347 total active cases
- Interior Health: 252 new cases, 1,911 total active cases
- Northern Health: 45 new cases, 322 total active cases
- Island Health: 69 new cases, 470 total active cases
- Outside of Canada: No new cases, 12 total active cases
There has been one new COVID-19-related death in Fraser Health, for a total of 1,802 deaths in British Columbia. Between August 10 and 23, people not vaccinated accounted for 83.3% of cases and 85% of hospitalizations.
Cases (August 23):
- Unvaccinated: 372 (68.4%)
- Partially vaccinated: 53 (9.7%)
- Fully vaccinated: 119 (21.9%)
Cases (August 17 to 23):
- Unvaccinated: 3,051 (66.8%)
- Partially vaccinated: 535 (16.5%)
- Fully vaccinated: 752 (16.6%)
Hospitalizations (August 10 to 23):
- Unvaccinated: 144 (77%)
- Partially vaccinated: 15 (8%)
- Fully vaccinated: 28 (15%)
To date, 83.5% of all eligible people 12 and over have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine; 75.4% have received their second dose. 154,669 people who tested positive have now recovered
Hundreds of people in B-C’s southern Interior can breathe a bit easier as regional districts partially lifted evacuation alerts in response to several different wildfires. Environment Canada is forecasting cooler temperatures across much of the region that’s hard hit by numerous fires spanning thousands of square kilometres. The weather office predicts some rain starting Thursday evening, while the B-C Wildfire Service says drought has resulted in “deep burning forest fuels” at the destructive White Rock Lake fire, making it difficult for crews to extinguish. Premier John Horgan told a news conference there are still several weeks left in what he called the “horrific” fire season this year.
More than 60 firefighters battled a blaze at the cafe in Edinburgh, Scotland where J.K. Rowling wrote some of the Harry Potter books. The Elephant House is a regular stop for Potter fans. The cafe suffered smoke and water damage after a blaze broke out at the patisserie next door and will likely be closed for several months.