COVID-19 update for March 31: London Drugs booked up for vaccines | Tam says 'crisis phase' will be over by fall | Age 55 to 65 in Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health can book vaccine | 840 new cases | State of emergency extended – Vancouver Sun

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Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C. for March 31, 2021.

We’ll provide summaries of what’s going on in B.C. right here so you can get the latest news at a glance. This page will be updated regularly throughout the day, with developments 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 weeknights at 7 p.m. by subscribing to our newsletter here.

B.C.’S COVID-19 CASE NUMBERS

As of the latest figures given on March 29:

• Total number of confirmed cases: 99,035 (7,062 active)
• New cases since March 29: 840
• Total deaths: 1,455 (0 new)
• Hospitalized cases: 312
• Intensive care: 78
• Total vaccinations: 724,193 people have received one of the three approved vaccines, including 87,319 who have received a second dose.
• Cases under public health monitoring: 11,164
• Recovered: 90,401
• Long-term care and assisted-living homes, and acute care facilities currently affected: 12

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IN-DEPTH:COVID-19: Here are all the B.C. cases of the novel coronavirus

B.C. GUIDES AND LINKS

• COVID-19: Here’s everything you need to know about the novel coronavirus

• COVID-19 FAQ: What you need to know about the vaccine rollout in B.C.

• COVID-19: Have you been exposed? Here are all B.C. public health alerts

• COVID-19 at B.C. schools: Here are the school district exposure alerts

• COVID-19: Avoid these hand sanitizers that are recalled in Canada

• COVID-19: Here’s where to get tested in Metro Vancouver

• B.C. COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool

LATEST NEWS ON COVID-19 IN B.C.

3 p.m. – Health officials are set to share latest figures on COVID-19 in B.C.

Health officials are expected to update the number of COVID-19 cases, deaths and recoveries across the province.

11:45 a.m. – Education ministry says masks required in schools for students in Grade 4 and up, despite confusion

Students in Grade 4 and up will be required to wear masks in classrooms, according to updated guidelines released Tuesday night by the B.C. Ministry of Education. Whether masks in schools are mandatory or simply recommended was a source of confusion following the tougher restrictions announced Monday by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.

There’s also confusion among other businesses, such as brewpubs with patios and bowling alleys, which complain that vague public health guidelines leave them wondering whether they have to close.

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According to safety guidelines sent to schools Tuesday, “effective immediately all K-12 staff and all students in grades 4 to 12 will be required to wear non-medical masks in all indoor areas, including when they are at their work stations (desks), and on school buses — both within and outside of their learning group.” Masks for students in kindergarten to Grade 3 are encouraged but not mandatory.

There are exceptions for people who have health or disability challenges that prevent them from wearing a mask, and in cases where a service is being provided to someone, such as a person with hearing impairment who relies on lip reading or facial expressions to communicate. Students can remove masks temporarily to engage in an activity where the mask is prohibitive, such as eating or drinking, playing an instrument or engaging in physical activity.

“Schools reflect what’s happening in local communities, and we support public health’s decision to introduce additional mask measures to our K-12 guidelines across the province,” Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside said in a statement Wednesday morning. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, public health orders and guidelines have been amended to reflect changing knowledge and the risk of spread of COVID-19 in the community and different settings.”

Since Monday, the B.C. Teachers’ Federation has been fielding questions from confused teachers and parents who said they were unclear as to whether Henry’s announcement Monday meant masks were mandatory or recommended. On Tuesday night, the union posted the relevant section from the Education Ministry’s updated health and safety guidelines to clarify that masks are required for students in grades 4 to 12, a measure the BCTF has been calling for for months.

-Katie DeRosa

11:45 a.m. – Ryan Reynolds injects humour into receiving COVID-19 vaccine

Ryan Reynolds couldn’t help himself when he got his shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Known for his wisecracks both on-screen (Deadpool) and off, the Vancouver actor cracked, “Finally got 5G,” in an Instagram post that showed him sporting a pink tuque and rolling up the short sleeve of his white T-shirt to get the jab.

The joke was seemingly aimed at anti-vaxxers or conspiracy theorists. Some people have claimed the COVID-19 pandemic is part of a plan to implant microchips into humans that can be activated by 5G networks (the fifth-generation technology standard for broadband cellular networks).

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– Postmedia

11:30 a.m. – Tam says ‘crisis phase’ will be over by fall

Canada’s top public health doctor says she expects the “crisis phase of the pandemic” will be over before the fall.

Dr. Theresa Tam says the next few weeks may be the most challenging yet, as the third resurgence of cases driven by unrelenting variants of concern means there is even less “room for errors” in our public health measures.

But she says with every week that passes, with every shipment of vaccines and with the onset of nicer weather that will allow us to do more outdoor activities safely, things are going to get easier.

By June, Tam says, every adult Canadian who wants a vaccine will get at least one dose.

And by the fall, she says, they will get their second.

– The Canadian Press

10:30 a.m. – Facebook Live with Dr. Theresa Tam – Your COVID-19 Vaccine Questions Answered

Facebook Canada is hosting Your COVID-19 Vaccine Questions Answered, a Facebook Live event with Canada’s top doctors to connect millions of Canadians with trusted COVID-19 vaccine information.

The event is free to attend and anyone can join:https://www.facebook.com/facebookappCanada 

Speakers will include:

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer
Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada’s Deputy Chief Public Health Officer
Dr. Evan Adams, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at Indigenous Services Canada
Dr. Supriya Sharma, Chief Medical Advisor, Health Canada
Samantha Yammine, PhD, neuroscientist, molecular biologist and popular science communicator known as Science Sam
Danielle Nadin, CIHR Institute of Gender and Health

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8:30 a.m. – London Drugs all booked up for vaccine appointments

Starting today people aged 55 to 65 living in the Lower Mainland can book a AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine, but there may be a wait, as already one major pharmacy says it is all booked up.

On Tuesday night, a day before the bookings opened for this category, London Drugs announced on Twitter that due to an “overwhelming response,” all vaccine appointments have been booked at the three London Drugs pharmacies selected by the B.C. government to offer the vaccine.

The company asked people not to call the pharmacies so they can prepare for the “fully booked” appointments.

The B.C. Pharmacy Association website has a list of pharmacies  offering the vaccine, which will be updated regularly in the coming weeks.

Those going to get a vaccine will be required to bring their Personal Health Number, located on your CareCard or driver’s license.

The AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine is currently not available in pharmacies in the Northern, Interior, and Vancouver Island health authorities at this time.

5 a.m. – Horgan’s ‘do not blow this’ comment enrages young people in B.C.

Premier John Horgan shamed and blamed young people for spreading COVID-19, but his “do not blow this” finger-wagging appeal has faced swift backlash from those he was trying to bring on side.

He resisted calls to apologize on Tuesday, but said he acknowledges the sacrifices of young people and was trying to catch the attention of the few who are breaking the rules.

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His initial comments, critics say, were counter-intuitive and harmful to young people who are disproportionately working in higher-risk, front-line jobs hard hit by Monday’s tougher restrictions on restaurants and the closure of Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort.

On Monday, Horgan said people between 20 and 39 are “quite frankly, putting the rest of us in a challenging situation.”

“My appeal to you is, do not blow this for the rest of us,” he said. “Do not blow this for your parents and your neighbours and others who have been working really, really hard, making significant sacrifices so we can get good outcomes for everybody.”

Justin Kulik, the NDP’s youngest candidate in the last election, called on Horgan to apologize for his “hurtful” remarks.

Horgan did not apologize, instead writing on Twitter Tuesday that his top concern is protecting people from the virus and getting through the “last mile” safely.

“I’m trying to catch the attention of the few who refuse to follow the public health restrictions. To the vast majority of young people doing everything they can: thank you,” he wrote.

He acknowledged that young people, who often work in front-line jobs or living with roommates. have made “tremendous sacrifices” to fight COVID-19.

5 a.m. – Did you get the AstraZeneca vaccine? Here’s what you need to know

On Monday, B.C. announced it was suspending the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in people 55 and younger due to concerns over a “very rare” blood clot condition.

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For a primer that breaks down why B.C. is halting the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in younger people, but at the same time accelerating the vaccination of other age groups using this vaccine read Cheryl Chan’s breakdown here.

2 a.m. – As of today, Lower Mainland residents age 55 to 65 can book a vaccine

B.C. is now offering a COVID-19 vaccine to Lower Mainland residents age 55 to 65, according to Vancouver Coastal Health.

Starting today, eligible residents can call their local pharmacy to make an appointment to get their AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine.

About 150 pharmacies are participating in this partnership with Immunize B.C.

Drop-in service may also be an option.

The B.C. Pharmacy Association website has a list of pharmacies offering the vaccine, which will be updated regularly in the coming weeks.

12 a.m.  – 840 new cases, no additional COVID-19 related deaths

B.C. reported 840 new cases, including 18 epidemiologically-linked cases, on Tuesday. There were no new deaths.

There are 7,062 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, including 312 people in hospital, 78 of whom are in intensive care.

There have been 320 new confirmed cases involving variants of concern.

12 a.m. – State of emergency extended to continue B.C.’s COVID-19 response

B.C. has extended the provincial state of emergency, allowing health and emergency management officials to continue to use measures under the Emergency Program Act to support the province’s COVID-19 pandemic response.

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The state of emergency is extended through the end of the day on April 13.

“While the finish line remains in sight, rising case counts and the spread of variants of concern mean we all must continue working together to keep each other safe,” said Premier John Horgan, in a statement.

The original declaration was made on March 18, 2020, the day after Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, declared a public health emergency.

B.C. VACCINE TRACKER

LOCAL RESOURCES for COVID-19 information

Here are a number of information and landing pages for COVID-19 from various health and government agencies.

• B.C. COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool

• Vancouver Coastal Health – Information on Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

• HealthLink B.C. – Coronavirus (COVID-19) information page

• B.C. Centre 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