COVID-19 update for July 8: No unvaccinated tourists allowed into Canada for 'quite a while': Trudeau | Science World announces restart plan | COVID modelling report says Delta variant lurking as B.C. reopens - Vancouver Sun

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

Author of the article:

Tiffany Crawford, Cheryl Chan

Publishing date:

Jul 08, 2021 • 41 minutes ago • 5 minute read • Join the conversation

Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C. Photo by Handout /via REUTERS

Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C. for July 8, 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 July 7:

• Total number of confirmed cases: 147,856 (624 active cases)
• New cases since July 5: 59
• Total deaths: 1,759 (no new deaths)
• Hospitalized cases: 86
• Intensive care: 20
• Total vaccinations: 5,404,047 doses administered; 1,772,595 second doses
• Recovered from acute infection: 145,455
• Long-term care and assisted-living homes, and acute care facilities currently affected: 4

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

• 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.

Trudeau says unvaccinated tourists won’t be allowed into Canada for some time

Foreign tourists who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 will not be allowed to enter Canada for quite some time, with the government unwilling to jeopardize progress made on containing the virus, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday.

“I can tell you right now that’s not going to happen for quite a while,” said Trudeau, when asked by reporters when Canada would allow unvaccinated tourists to enter the country.

Trudeau added there would be more to say in the “coming weeks” on when Canada’s borders might reopen to fully vaccinated tourists.

— Reuters

Science World announces its restart plan

Science World says capacity at the dome will increase and group bookings of up to 10 people will be allowed as part of its restart plan in line with health orders.

Weddings of up to 50 people can now be booked at the Green Roof Terrace which overlooks the False Creek skyline.

Masks continue to be mandatory for staff and visitors ages six and over to ensure the safety of those who have not been vaccinated, including children under 12 and visitors are asked to maintain physical distancing with other visitors and staff.

President of Science World Tracy Redies said they are proceeding with caution to ensuring that they protect staff and vulnerable populations as they adapt their plan for phase 3 of B.C.’s Restart Plan.

“Our focus will remain on expanding STEAM learning across the province, both at the dome and virtually to those in communities that are typically underserved or more difficult to reach,” she said, in a statement.

Science World will remain open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Timed entry is still recommended, and walk-ins are subject to availability.

COVID modelling report says Delta variant lurking as B.C. reopens

B.C. is doing well when it comes to declining COVID-19 numbers, but a reluctance to share data is hurting world-wide efforts to beat the pandemic, a member of an independent COVID-19 modelling group said Wednesday.

Sarah Otto, a professor at the University of B.C. who specializes in mathematical modelling, said as the province reopens, the spread of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 has to be watched closely.

“We’re in a great place in B.C., and you can see that with the declining case numbers,” she said. “The issue going forward with the Phase 3 reopening is to stay in such a great place.”

She compared the Delta variant to a racehorse.

“You have this one that’s really speedy and chomping at the bit and we’ve just opened the gates,” she said. “That’s what worried us: What’s going to happen with Delta in the future?”

Since being identified in late 2020, the Delta variant has spread to more than 80 countries. It is a mutation in the spike protein the virus uses to enter cells in a body.

The World Health Organization considers it 55 per cent more transmissible than the Alpha variant, which was 50 per cent more transmissible than the original coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

On Wednesday, the B.C. COVID-19 Modelling Group, an interdisciplinary group of academics, researchers and experts, released its sixth report on the status of COVID-19 in B.C.

-Kevin Griffin

59 new cases; vaccination rate inches up

B.C. reported 59 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the total of active cases in the province to 624. Of these, 86 are people who are in hospital, including 20 in intensive care.

The new cases are located in Fraser Health (20), Vancouver Coastal Health (13), Interior Health (17), Northern Health (2) and Island Health (3). There were four new cases of COVID-19 in people who reside outside Canada.

More than 3.6 million people have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in B.C., making up 78.2 per cent of the eligible population age 12 and older.

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: