What you need to know about COVID-19 in B.C. for Jan. 27 - CBC.ca

THE LATEST:

B.C. recorded 407 new cases of COVID-19 and 14 deaths on Tuesday.
There are currently 4,260 active cases of the coronavirus in B.C.
313 people are in hospital, with 71 in the ICU.
B.C. has detected six cases of the variant from the U.K. and three cases from South Africa.
The province will not be receiving new doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines next week.
Second doses of the vaccine will now be administered 42 days after the first, instead of 35, in order to vaccinate as many vulnerable people as possible.
122,359 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in B.C., 4,105 of which are second doses.

B.C. health officials announced 407 new cases of COVID-19 and 14 more deaths on Tuesday.

In a written statement, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix put the number of hospitalized patients at 313 people, 71 of whom are in intensive care.

A total of 1,168 people in B.C. have lost their lives due to COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

There are currently 4,260 active cases of coronavirus in the province, with public health monitoring 6,450 people across B.C. who are in self-isolation due to COVID-19 exposure. More than 58,352 people who tested positive have recovered.

So far, 122,359 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in B.C., 4,105 of which are second doses.

Henry said that over the weekend the province received further updates on future shipments of vaccinations — and that B.C. will not be receiving new doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines over the next two weeks.

As a result of the shortage, second doses of the vaccine will be delayed until 42 days after the first, rather than 35, in order to provide protection to a greater number of people.

The last update from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control confirmed six cases of the variant first reported in the U.K. and three cases of the variant first seen in South Africa.

Henry said all cases of the variant from the U.K. are travel-related, but none of the variants first detected in South Africa have been linked to travel.

New travel measures coming

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that new pandemic measures for travel are coming and Canadians should cancel any travel plans.

Trudeau said that even though existing travel control measures have been effective in keeping the number of infections low, more effort will be needed going forward.

“Obviously, extremely low is still not zero and one case is too many if we’re importing, particularly considering the variants out there,” Trudeau said.

Trudeau also sought to reassure Canadians that vaccine shots will continue to arrive even as the European Union threatens protectionist measures to limit the export of doses abroad.

He said he received assurances this morning from Stéphane Bancel, the CEO of Moderna, that that company will meet its promised delivery timelines — 230,400 doses are slated to arrive next week.

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What’s happening elsewhere in Canada

As of 10 p.m. PT on Monday, Canada had reported 757,448 cases of COVID-19, and 19,238 total deaths.

Canada’s COVID-19 situational awareness dashboard was not updated on Tuesday.

A total of 62,447 cases are considered active.

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

Common symptoms include:

Fever.
Cough.
Tiredness.
Shortness of breath.
Loss of taste or smell.
Headache.

But more serious symptoms can develop, including difficulty breathing and pneumonia.

What should I do if I feel sick?

Use the B.C. Centre for Disease Control’s COVID-19 self-assessment tool. Testing is recommended for anyone with symptoms of cold or flu, even if they’re mild. People with severe difficulty breathing, severe chest pain, difficulty waking up or other extreme symptoms should call 911.

What can I do to protect myself?