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Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C. for June 29, 2021.
Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C.
Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C. for June 29, 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.
IN-DEPTH:COVID-19: Here are all the B.C. cases of the novel coronavirus
• 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
3:20 p.m. – B.C. reports 29 new cases, no additional deaths
British Columbia reported 29 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday.
There are currently 876 active COVID-19 cases in the province, including 110 people in hospitalized with the disease, according to a joint statement from Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
Thirty-four people are being treated in intensive care.
There were no deaths to report on Tuesday. The provincial death toll from the pandemic remains at 1,754.
As of Tuesday, more than 4.9 million British Columbians had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while nearly 1.37 million are fully vaccinated after receiving their second shot.
“Today, we are reporting that 78.3 per cent of all adults in B.C. and 77 per cent of those 12 and older have now received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, 31.6 per cent of all adults in B.C. and 29.5 per cent of those 12 and older have received their second dose,” the statement said.
2:45 p.m. – Canada Day to mark step 3 of B.C.’s restart plan, says Premier John Horgan
B.C. Premier John Horgan says the province will move forward with step 3 of the provincial restart plan on July 1 as planned.
Horgan said there were just 29 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Monday.
“We can cheer for our kids, go to a friend’s place for dinner, plan that wedding, go to theatre, go to a concert,” said an upbeat Horgan.
Step 3 will see a return to normal indoor and outdoor personal gatherings, fairs and festivals can be held, casinos and nightclubs can reopen and all indoor fitness classes are allowed.
There will still be restrictions on the numbers of people allowed in casinos and nightclubs and other public safety measures, however masks will no longer have to be worn in public indoor spaces.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said B.C. is making very encouraging progress in beating the pandemic, with high rates of immunization.
She said the provincial state of emergency will be lifted on Wednesday at midnight, however, B.C.’s public health emergency will remain in effect.
– David Carrigg
12 p.m. – Gallup poll: 57% of Republicans say the pandemic is over. Only 4% of Democrats agree
A majority of Americans (89 per cent) believe the pandemic situation is improving, but there’s a sharp partisan split on whether the U.S. is out of the woods.
In a new Gallup Poll, a majority of Republicans (57 per cent) declared the pandemic finished, but only 4 per cent of Democrats agreed.
The web survey, conducted by Gallup between June 14 and 20, asked 4,843 adults from their panel about their perception of the COVID pandemic and its effect on their lives. The data is part of the organization’s continuing Americans’ Views of Pandemic in the U.S. report.
The results show that while a record number of Americans saw an improvement in pandemic recovery, only 4 per cent of Democrats thought the crisis had ended, as opposed to a majority of Republicans and 35 per cent of Independents.
– Postmedia
11:30 a.m. – Third wave would have killed more people in Canada without vaccines: Tam
Canada’s chief public health officer says without vaccines the third wave of COVID-19 in Canada would have been much deadlier.
Dr. Theresa Tam says as vaccines began to roll out among the most vulnerable, older populations in Canada, she was “quite struck” by how quickly infections and deaths plummeted in that age group.
In January, when the second wave of COVID-19 peaked in Canada, more than 4,000 Canadians over the age of 80 died from it.
In April, when the third wave peaked and most Canadians over 80 had at least one dose of vaccine, the number of deaths in that age group fell to 498.
Tam is thrilled with the current pace of vaccinations in Canada but says with the Delta variant appearing in more places, immunization targets need to be higher.
She says higher vaccination rates among adults are particularly important since children under 12 are not yet eligible for vaccines.
– The Canadian Press
10:45 a.m. – Tourism experts calling on Canadians to help recovery
A panel of tourism experts is predicting Canadians will be “travel hesitant” this summer, despite the easing of travel restrictions, and it will be years before the travel and accommodation sectors bounce back fully.
The CEO of Science World told a panel, hosted by the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, that “the pandemic has resulted in behavioural changes.”
“As a result, we can’t just reopen and expect people to return,” said Tracy Redies on Monday. “We have seen in the U.S. where things have reopened, that attendance levels remain low.”
Redies said that is why Science World plans to continue to require masks be worn inside its facility until September, despite the expectation that B.C’s public health order on masks will be lifted on July 1.
Last year, the tourism industry in B.C. generated $7 billion in revenues, down from $21.5 billion in 2019. Workers in the hospitality and accommodation sectors suffered the highest number of jobs lost, with a third of those workers, about 40,000, remaining unemployed.
The managing director of sales, planning and effectiveness for Air Canada, Timothy Liu, told the panel any recovery will be slow.
“Summer is concerning for us, with ongoing border restrictions and quarantine requirements,” said Liu. “We’d like government leaders to get the message out that it is safe to travel.”
– Lisa Cordasco
8 a.m. – Moderna’s shot productes antibodies against Delta variant
Moderna Inc. said its vaccine produced protective antibodies against the Delta variant spreading in Canada and many other parts of the world.
Moderna researchers tested blood samples from eight people for antibodies against versions of the spike protein from different coronavirus variants, including delta, which emerged in India.
The vaccine “produced neutralizing titers against all variants tested,” the company said in a statement.
– Bloomberg
3 a.m. – Researchers estimate thousands more died of COVID-19 outside long-term care
Canada may have undercounted more than 5,700 COVID-19 deaths during the first 10 months of the pandemic — and even more since then, says a new report from the Royal Society of Canada.
More than 26,000 people have died from COVID-19, so far, according to official data from the Public Health Agency of Canada. By Nov. 14, 2020, the country had recorded 11,009 deaths.
But the newly released study, which examined data between Feb. 1, 2020 and Nov. 28, 2020, found evidence that Canada has vastly undercounted COVID deaths. The report, completed by a team of five researchers, found that if Canada continued to miscount fatalities past last November “the pandemic mortality burden may be two times higher than reported.”
Based on previous estimates, Canada is believed to have experienced 80 per cent of its COVID-19 deaths among people in long-term care, the report says. This is roughly double the average of 40 per cent among equivalent countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
However the report, released Tuesday morning, suggests that these uncounted deaths occurred primarily in Canadians older than 45 who were not living in long-term care homes. The team found that up to two-thirds of deaths that occurred outside of long-term care homes are missing from Canada’s total.
— National Post
12 a.m. – Pandemic fizzles in B.C. as more restrictions set to be lifted July 1
The COVID-19 pandemic is fizzling out in B.C. as the provincial health officer prepares to lift more restrictions on Canada Day — giving people a choice of whether to wear a mask in public indoor settings.
“Transmission has decreased. And we see particularly in the Lower Mainland where we have had high rates of cases for many, many months, they have now dropped dramatically,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry , as she reported 145 new cases over the past three days – including just 38 on Sunday.
Henry highlighted that the crucial disease reproductive rate has continued to fall below one across the province.
“What we can see is we now have a sustained low reproductive rate. That means that for most people who are infected, they are not passing this virus on to anybody else. That’s how the pandemic will fizzle out over time.”
— David Carrigg
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:
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
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Canada has seen a concerning rise in measles cases in the first months of 2024.
By the third week of March, the country had already recorded more than three times the number of cases as all of last year. Canada had just 12 cases of measles in 2023, up from three in 2022.
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Posted on: Apr 18, 2024
April is Cancer Awareness Month
As we recognize Cancer Awareness Month, we stand together to raise awareness, support those affected, advocate for prevention, early detection, and continued research towards a cure. Cancer is the leading cause of death for Métis women and the second leading cause of death for Métis men. The Otipemisiwak Métis Government of the Métis Nation Within Alberta is working hard to ensure that available supports for Métis Citizens battling cancer are culturally appropriate, comprehensive, and accessible by Métis Albertans at all stages of their cancer journey.
Receiving a cancer diagnosis, whether for yourself or a loved one, can feel overwhelming, leaving you unsure of where to turn for support. In June, our government will be launching the Cancer Supports and Navigation Program which will further support Métis Albertans and their families experiencing cancer by connecting them to OMG-specific cancer resources, external resources, and providing navigation support through the health care system. This program will also include Métis-specific peer support groups for those affected by cancer.
With funding from the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC) we have also developed the Métis Cancer Care Course to ensure that Métis Albertans have access to culturally safe and appropriate cancer services. This course is available to cancer care professionals across the country and provides an overview of who Métis people are, our culture, our approaches to health and wellbeing, our experiences with cancer care, and our cancer journey.
Together, we can make a difference in the fight against cancer and ensure equitable access to culturally safe and appropriate care for all Métis Albertans. Please click on the links below to learn more about the supports available for Métis Albertans, including our Compassionate Care: Cancer Transportation program.
I wish you all good health and happiness!
Bobbi Paul-Alook
Secretary of Health & Seniors
You may have heard of Ozempic, the “miracle drug” for weight loss, but did you know that it was actually designed as a new treatment to manage diabetes? In Canada, diabetes affects approximately 10 per cent of the general population. Of those cases, 90 per cent have Type 2 diabetes.
This metabolic disorder is characterized by persistent high blood sugar levels, which can be accompanied by secondary health challenges, including a higher risk of stroke and kidney disease.
In Type 2 diabetes, the body struggles to maintain blood sugar levels in an acceptable range. Every cell in the body needs sugar as an energy source, but too much sugar can be toxic to cells. This equilibrium needs to be tightly controlled and is regulated by a lock and key system.
In the body’s attempt to manage blood sugar levels and ensure that cells receive the right amount of energy, the pancreatic hormone, insulin, functions like a key. Cells cover themselves with locks that respond perfectly to insulin keys to facilitate the entry of sugar into cells.
Unfortunately, this lock and key system doesn’t always perform as expected. The body can encounter difficulties producing an adequate number of insulin keys, and/or the locks can become stubborn and unresponsive to insulin.
All forms of diabetes share the challenge of high blood sugar levels; however, diabetes is not a singular condition; it exists as a spectrum. Although diabetes is broadly categorized into two main types, Type 1 and Type 2, each presents a diversity of subtypes, especially Type 2 diabetes.
These subtypes carry their own characteristics and risks, and do not respond uniformly to the same treatments.
To better serve people living with Type 2 diabetes, and to move away from a “one size fits all” approach, it is beneficial to understand which subtype of Type 2 diabetes a person lives with. When someone needs a blood transfusion, the medical team needs to know the patient’s blood type. It should be the same for diabetes so a tailored and effective game plan can be implemented.
This article explores four unique subtypes of Type 2 diabetes, shedding light on their causes, complications and some of their specific treatment avenues.
Insulin is produced by beta cells, which are found in the pancreas. In the severe insulin-deficient diabetes (SIDD) subtype, the key factories — the beta cells — are on strike. Ultimately, there are fewer keys in the body to unlock the cells and allow entry of sugar from the blood.
SIDD primarily affects younger, leaner individuals, and unfortunately, increases the risk of eye disease and blindness, among other complications. Why the beta cells go on strike remains largely unknown, but since there is an insulin deficiency, treatment often involves insulin injections.
In the severe insulin-resistant diabetes (SIRD) subtype, the locks are overstimulated and start ignoring the keys. As a result, the beta cells produce even more keys to compensate. This can be measured as high levels of insulin in the blood, also known as hyperinsulinemia.
This resistance to insulin is particularly prominent in individuals with higher body weight. Patients with SIRD have an increased risk of complications such as fatty liver disease. There are many treatment avenues for these patients but no consensus about the optimal approach; patients often require high doses of insulin.
Mild obesity-related (MOD) diabetes represents a nuanced aspect of Type 2 diabetes, often observed in individuals with higher body weight. Unlike more severe subtypes, MOD is characterized by a more measured response to insulin. The locks are “sticky,” so it is challenging for the key to click in place and open the lock. While MOD is connected to body weight, the comparatively less severe nature of MOD distinguishes it from other diabetes subtypes.
To minimize complications, treatment should include maintaining a healthy diet, managing body weight, and incorporating as much aerobic exercise as possible. This is where drugs like Ozempic can be prescribed to control the evolution of the disease, in part by managing body weight.
Mild age-related diabetes (MARD) happens more often in older people and typically starts later in life. With time, the key factory is not as productive, and the locks become stubborn. People with MARD find it tricky to manage their blood sugar, but it usually doesn’t lead to severe complications.
Among the different subtypes of diabetes, MARD is the most common.
While efforts have been made to classify diabetes subtypes, new subtypes are still being identified, making proper clinical assessment and treatment plans challenging.
In Canada, unique cases of Type 2 diabetes were identified in Indigenous children from Northern Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario by Dr. Heather Dean and colleagues in the 1980s and 90s. Despite initial skepticism from the scientific community, which typically associated Type 2 diabetes with adults rather than children, clinical teams persisted in identifying this as a distinct subtype of Type 2 diabetes, called childhood-onset Type 2 diabetes.
Read more:
Indigenous community research partnerships can help address health inequities
Childhood-onset Type 2 diabetes is on the rise across Canada, but disproportionately affects Indigenous youth. It is undoubtedly linked to the intergenerational trauma associated with colonization in these communities. While many factors are likely involved, recent studies have discovered that exposure of a fetus to Type 2 diabetes during pregnancy increases the risk that the baby will develop diabetes later in life.
Acknowledging this distinct subtype of Type 2 diabetes in First Nations communities has led to the implementation of a community-based health action plan aimed at addressing the unique challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples. It is hoped that partnered research between communities and researchers will continue to help us understand childhood-onset Type 2 diabetes and how to effectively prevent and treat it.
Type 2 diabetes is not uniform; it’s a mosaic of conditions, each with its own characteristics. Since diabetes presents so uniquely in every patient, even categorizing into subtypes does not guarantee how the disease will evolve. However, understanding these subtypes is a good starting point to help doctors create personalized plans for people living with the condition.
While Indigenous communities, lower-income households and individuals living with obesity already face a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes than the general population, tailored solutions may offer hope for better management. This emphasizes the urgent need for more precise assessments of diabetes subtypes to help customize therapeutic strategies and management strategies. This will improve care for all patients, including those from vulnerable and understudied populations.
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Jeremy Hansen – The Canadian Encyclopedia