COVID-19 update for Aug. 25: Exposure alert for 26 more B.C. flights | Small unvaccinated population accounts for most of B.C.'s cases | AMA encourages vaccine mandates – 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 Aug. 25, 2021.

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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 Aug. 25

• Total number of confirmed cases: 161,969 (5,356 active cases)
• New cases since Aug. 23: 698
• Total deaths: 1,802 (one additional death)
• Hospitalized cases: 139 (up one since Tuesday)
• Intensive care: 75 (down three since Tuesday)
• Total vaccinations: 3,869,329 received first dose; 3,493,119 second doses
• Recovered from acute infection: 154,669
• Long-term care and assisted-living homes, and acute care facilities currently affected: 14

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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: Here’s how to get your vaccination shot in B.C.

• COVID-19: Look up your neighbourhood in our interactive map of case and vaccination rates in B.C.

• COVID-19: Afraid of needles? Here’s how to overcome your fear and get vaccinated

• COVID-19: Five things to know about the P1 variant spreading in B.C.

• COVID-19: Here are all the B.C. cases of the novel coronavirus in 2021

• 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

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• 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.

B.C. health officials reported 698 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the number of total active cases in the province to 5,356.

Of the active cases, 139 are in hospital with the novel coronavirus, including 75 in intensive care.

Interior Health has more than third of B.C.’s total new cases, with 252. Fraser Health reported 203 new infections; Vancouver Coastal Health, 129; Island Health, 69; and Northern Health, 45.

One person has died in the last 24-hour reporting period. The provincial death toll from the pandemic now sits at 1,802.

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As of Wednesday, 83.5 per cent, or more than 3.86 million British Columbians age 12 and older, have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 75.4 per cent are fully vaccinated.

From Aug. 10 to 23, unvaccinated and partially vaccinated people accounted for 83 per cent of cases and 85 per cent of hospitalizations, said the ministry.

Air Canada mandates COVID-19 vaccination for all employees

Air Canada said on Wednesday it would require all employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19, as the fast-spreading Delta variant drives an increase in infections.

The move by Canada’s largest carrier was in line with a government mandate that workers in the transportation sector be vaccinated by the end of October and follows similar moves by other major companies, including United Airlines.

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Workers who are not vaccinated by Oct. 30 will face termination or be sent on unpaid leave, Air Canada said. It has also made full vaccination a condition of employment for new employees.

However, the carrier will accommodate workers who cannot be vaccinated for reasons such as medical conditions.

— Reuters

Exposure alert for 26 more B.C. flights

The B.C. Centre of Disease Control has issued alerts for 26 B.C. flights with potential COVID-19 exposure.

The affected flights are:

Aug. 10
• Air Canada/Jazz Flight 8415, Kelowna to Vancouver
• Air Canada/Jazz Flight 8568, Vancouver to Regina

Aug. 12
• Air Canada Flight 861, London to Vancouver

Aug. 13
• Air Canada Flight 224, Vancouver to Calgary
• Air Canada Flight 861, London to Vancouver

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Aug. 14
• WestJet Flight 3303, Regina to Kelowna

Aug. 15
• Air Canada Flight 221, Calgary to Vancouver
• Flair Flight 319, Waterloo to Kelowna
• Flair Flight 691, Winnipeg to Abbotsford
• WestJet Flight 119, Calgary to Vancouver

Aug. 16
• Air Canada Flight 344, Vancouver to Ottawa
• Swoop Flight 201, Edmonton to Abbotsford
• Swoop Flight 602, Calgary to Abbotsford

Aug. 18
• Air Canada Flight 184, Vancouver to Toronto
• Air Canada Flight 228, Vancouver to Calgary
• Turkish Airlines Flight 4928, Istanbul to Vancouver

Aug. 19
• Air Canada Flight 343, Ottawa to Vancouver
• Flair Flight 516, Calgary to Victoria
• Lufthansa Flight 476, Munich to Vancouver

Aug. 20
• Lufthansa Flight 492, Frankfurt to Vancouver
• WestJet Flight 112, Vancouver to Calgary

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Aug. 21
• Air Canada Flight 997, Mexico City to Vancouver
• Air Canada Flight 1129, Toronto to Kelowna

Aug. 22
• Air Canada Flight 213, Calgary to Vancouver
• Flair Flight 604, Edmonton to Abbotsford
• Flair Flight 517, Victoria to Calgary

For row information, visit the BCCDC’s full listing of all exposure flights here.

Delta Air Lines to impose surcharge on unvaccinated employees

Delta Air Lines will impose a $200 monthly surcharge on employees who aren’t vaccinated against COVID-19, becoming the first major U.S. company to levy a penalty to encourage workers to get protected.

The new policy was outlined in a company memo Wednesday from CEO Ed Bastian, who said 75 per cent of the carrier’s workers already are vaccinated. Increasing cases of coronavirus linked to the “very aggressive” Delta variant are driving the push for all employees to get the shots, he said.

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The fee applies to employees in the airline’s health-care plan who haven’t received shots by Nov. 1. The company also will require weekly testing for employees who aren’t vaccinated by mid-September.

– Bloomberg

Small unvaccinated population accounts for most of B.C.’s cases

Ministry of Health statistics show that the unvaccinated population is driving the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia.

Despite making up just 24 per cent of the province’s total population, B.C.’s unvaccinated population, which includes children under 12 who are not eligible for immunization, accounted for more than 70 per cent of the positive tests in the last week and just under 78 per cent of recent hospitalizations.

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According to the B.C. COVID-19 numbers released on Tuesday, nearly 3.5 million British Columbians, or 69 per cent of the province’s population of 5.07 million, are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 1.2 million remain unvaccinated.

A further 378,420 individuals, or 7.4 per cent of the population, are partially vaccinated having received one shot of COVID-19 vaccine.

B.C. COVID-19 Cases (Aug. 16-22):

B.C. COVID-19 Hospitalizations (Aug. 9-22):

– Scott Brown

American Medical Association encourages vaccine mandates

The American Medical Association on Tuesday urged more entities to require vaccination to help gain control of the outbreak, warning that otherwise “we could be stuck fighting this virus for many more months or even years to come.”

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“With the highly transmissible and more virulent Delta variant wreaking havoc and emergency departments once again overwhelmed, physicians and all frontline health care workers need help. The way to regain the upper hand in this fight is requiring vaccinations — specifically vaccine mandates,” AMA president Dr. Gerald E. Harmon said in a statement.

“Now is the time for the public and private sectors to come together, listen to the science, and mandate vaccination.”

Harmon said similar mandates have been used for generations in the U.S. and around the world to “defeat polio, measles, and other vaccine-preventable disease.”

Vaccine protection wanes within six months

Protection against COVID-19 offered by two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines begins to fade within six months, underscoring the need for booster shots, according to researchers in Britain.

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After five to six months, the effectiveness of the Pfizer jab at preventing infection in the month after the second dose fell from 88% to 74%, an analysis of data collected in Britain’s ZOE COVID study showed.

For the AstraZeneca vaccine, effectiveness fell from 77 per cent to 67 per cent after four to five months.

– Reuters

Students cheer while faculty gives failing grade to new B.C. rules for post secondary schools

Post-secondary students must be fully vaccinated if they want to live in campus residences or take part in studies that require them to work in seniors’ care homes, but students will not have to be immunized to attend lectures in classrooms.

The new provincial health orders were announced Tuesday and come into effect on Sept. 7.

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However, masks will be required in lecture halls and classrooms under Monday’s mask order by B.C.’s provincial health officer.

“We thought we would be able to release some of the restrictions, however, we know there is a need to take further measures,” Dr. Bonnie Henry said in announcing the new orders, which come as COVID-19 cases have been creeping upwards in B.C.

However, groups that represent educators in B.C. fear the measures do not go far enough, said Lynne Marks, president of the University of Victoria Faculty Association.

“The concern is because we are in Stage 3 of B.C.’s pandemic plan, where 50 people or 50 per cent capacity is the maximum allowed for indoor gatherings, and that is not going to apply to post-secondary classrooms,” said Marks. “In the biggest universities, you can have 300 to 500 students in a classroom with no physical distancing requirements.”

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Marks said more than 2,900 students and faculty in B.C. have signed a petition calling for mandatory immunization or, alternatively, rapid COVID-19 testing before unvaccinated students attend classes at post-secondary institutions. She said she does not understand why Henry has rejected their request.

– Lisa Cordasco

B.C. reports 641 new cases, no additional deaths

B.C. health officials reported 641 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday.

There are 138 COVID-19 patients being treated in hospital; more than half, 78, are in intensive care.

It’s the most hospitalizations since June 15 (139).

As of Tuesday, 71.1 per cent of British Columbians, more than 3.48 million people, were fully vaccinated, while 83.3 per cent had received at least one shot of vaccine.

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B.C.’s Ministry of Health said between Aug. 9 and 22, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 83.4 per cent of cases and 85.6 per cent of hospitalizations.

There were no new COVID-19 related deaths reported Tuesday. B.C.’s pandemic death toll remains at 1,801.

Also Tuesday, Fraser Health declared the end of an outbreak at KinVillage in South Delta. That leaves six outbreaks in long-term care (Heritage Village in Fraser Health; Village at Mill Creek, Nelson Jubilee Manor, Kootenay Street Village, Cottonwoods Care Centre and Brookhaven Care Centre in Interior Health; five in assisted or independent living facilities (Nicola Meadows, Hawthorn Park, David Lloyd, Sun Pointe Village and Hardy View Lodge, all in Interior Health); and one in acute care (Peace Arch Hospital in Fraser Health).

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Masks once again required on transit, B.C. Ferries

The resumption of B.C.’s indoor mask mandate means face coverings will once against be required on public transit.

Beginning Wednesday, both TransLink, which operates transit in the Lower Mainland, and B.C. Transit will require customers to mask up while using transit and while boarding or waiting for transit at any indoor or sheltered stations and stops.

TransLink says there are some exceptions to the policy:

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B.C. Ferries is also reminding travellers that masks will be required on its vessels and inside it terminals starting Aug. 25.

“Some exemptions will apply to the policy, such as if a customer is inside a vehicle or consuming food or drinks in designated areas for this purpose,” the ferry corporation.

“In the event that a passenger cannot wear a mask due to medical reasons, B.C. Ferries may require passengers to present documentation from a healthcare professional.”

B.C. Lions backing province’s proof of vaccine policy

The Canadian Football League’s B.C. Lions have come out in support of the B.C. government’s proof of vaccination policy.

On Monday, Premier John Horgan announced that beginning Sept. 13 all British Columbians will need a vaccine card showing proof of receiving at least one dose of vaccine to get into restaurants, clubs, ticketed sporting events and organized receptions. Starting on Oct. 24, the public will be required to show proof of being fully vaccinated with two doses.

Along with being “very supportive” of the new B.C. Vaccine Card, Lions president Rick LeLacheur says the club also welcomes the return of the indoor mask mandate that was announced Tuesday by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.

“Many of our season ticket holders have already expressed their support of this,” said LeLacheur.

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The Lions next home game is Sept. 11 against the Ottawa RedBlacks.

Mask mandate back in indoor spaces in B.C., including K-12 schools

B.C. is resuming a mask mandate in indoor settings as COVID-19 cases continue to creep upwards.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry made the province-wide announcement on Tuesday, alongside education officials.

The new temporary health order, which starts Wednesday, will apply to all indoor spaces including malls, stores, coffee shops, municipal spaces, recreation centres, as well as restaurants, pubs, and public transit, said Henry.

Face masks are also going to be required for B.C. K-12 staff and some students, similar to the mask mandate in place earlier this year.

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“The mask requirement that was in place last spring will continue in place to start this upcoming school year,” said Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside.

That means Grade 4 to 12 students as well as K-12 staff will have to wear non-medical masks in all indoor areas, including classrooms and school buses.

Students from kindergarten to Grade 3 are encouraged, but not required, to wear masks.

— Cheryl Chan

B.C. MAP OF WEEKLY COVID CASE COUNTS, VACCINATION RATES

Find out how your neighbourhood is doing in the battle against COVID-19 with the latest number of new cases, positivity rates, and vaccination rates:

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