Interior Health resuming temporarily paused services
Interior Health is taking a phased approach to resume services that were temporarily paused last month due to COVID-19. The service adjustments, announced Jan. 18, were implemented to preserve safe and reliable access to patient care across the Interior region. “The Omicron-driven COVID-19 staffing impacts on the health system...
More rapid tests, ventilation support for K-12 sector
Further pandemic supports are coming for B.C. students and schools, with 300,000 rapid antigen test kits to be delivered in phases. The first phase will be rural and remote school districts for use by students with symptoms of COVID-19. “By making rapid tests available to symptomatic students in rural and remote communities,...
Interior Health encourages families to get their COVID-19 pediatric vaccines by Family Day
Local pediatricians and Interior Health are encouraging families to set a goal this winter: get everyone in your household age five and over vaccinated before Family Day (Feb. 21). “The pediatric COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, and we encourage families to make their vaccination plans now to get children immunized as...
Rapid test kits distributed for symptomatic school staff
This week, 200,000 rapid antigen test kits are being shipped to the kindergarten-to-Grade 12 (K-12) sector for use by staff, teachers and administrators with symptoms of COVID-19. Rapid antigen tests are an additional tool that can be used to support the continuity of learning in schools with the aim to reduce transmission ...
BC records 9,332 COVID-19 cases over weekend 1,185 in IHA
Over a three-day period, B.C. is reporting 9,332 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 264,181 cases in the province: Dec. 31, 2021 - Jan. 1, 2022: 4,033 new cases Jan. 1-2, 2022: 3,069 new cases Jan. 2-3, 2022: 2,230 new cases Note: case counts provided today are preliminary. The new cases include: 4,859 new cases in Fraser...
High compliance with vaccination requirement for BC Public Service
The vast majority of B.C. public servants are fully vaccinated, providing the best defence for themselves and the British Columbians they serve. More than 98% of people working for the provincial government have met the requirement under the proof of vaccination policy that came into effect on Nov. 22, 2021, and are partially...
IHA sees 85 new cases, no new deaths
As of Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021, 84.8% (4,225,218) of eligible people five and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 81.7% (4,069,988) have received their second dose. In addition, 91.1% (4,224,201) of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, 87.8% ...
Interior Health lifts regional COVID-19 orders
Interior Health will lift the COVID-19 regional medical health officer Gatherings and Events Order at midnight tonight. “We’ve been closely monitoring COVID-19 activity, hospitalizations, and immunization rates in Interior Health and we’ve seen our cases drop,” said Dr. Sue Pollock, Interior Health’s interim chief medical...
Office of the Seniors Advocate : COVID-19 Booster Doses for Seniors
B.C. Seniors Advocate, Isobel Mackenzie, is reminding seniors aged 70 or older of the need for a booster, or third dose, of the COVID-19 vaccine. “The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is affecting all British Columbians, and our seniors and older adults are among the most vulnerable. The waning protection of the vaccine is based on...
COVID-19 vaccine available for kids aged 5 - 11
Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, and Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, have issued the following statement regarding Health Canada’s approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11: “British Columbia welcomes the news that Health Canada has approved Pfizer’s COVID-19 pediatric vaccine for...
