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COVID-19 update for Aug. 28-29: Israel offers booster to entire population | Delta variant poses twice the risk of hospitalization: Study | 867 new cases, three deaths

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

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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. 28, 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.

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B.C.’S COVID-19 CASE NUMBERS

As of the latest figures given on Aug. 27

• Total number of confirmed cases: 163,560 (5,657 active cases)
• New cases since Aug. 25: 867
• Total deaths: 1,807 (three additional deaths)
• Hospitalized cases: 159 (up 10 since Thursday)
• Intensive care: 84 (up one since Thursday)
• Total vaccinations: 3,886,952 received first dose; 3,514,485 second doses
• Recovered from acute infection: 155,928
• Long-term care and assisted-living homes, and acute care facilities currently affected: 14

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

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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.

Israel offers COVID-19 booster to all vaccinated people

Israel on Sunday began offering a COVID-19 booster to children as young as 12, and its prime minister said a campaign that began a month ago among seniors has slowed a rise in severe illness caused by the Delta variant.

Announcing the decision, top Israeli health officials said the effectiveness of the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine waned six months after administration, making a booster necessary.

“The third dose brings us to the level of protection achieved by the second dose, when it was fresh,” said Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of public health at Israel’s Health Ministry.

“That means, people are 10 times more protected after the third vaccine dose,” she told a news conference, where the expanded booster drive was announced.

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Those eligible for the third shot can receive it provided at least five months have passed since their second jab — a time frame shorter than an eight-month interval in effect in the United States, which is considering cutting the waiting time.

– Reuters

Delta variant poses twice the risk of hospitalization: Study

People who get the Delta variant of the coronavirus are twice as likely to be hospitalized as those who were infected by the Alpha variant which was first detected in England last year, a study showed on Friday.

The study, based on more than 43,000 COVID-19 cases of mostly unvaccinated people in England, compared the risk of hospitalization for people infected with Delta, which was first detected in India, with people who caught Alpha.

“Our analysis highlights that in the absence of vaccination, any Delta outbreaks will impose a greater burden on health care than an Alpha epidemic,” Anne Presanis, one of the study’s lead authors and a University of Cambridge statistician, said.

The study was based on cases between March and May during the early stages of Britain’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign, so it was not able to assess the extra risk of hospital admission for unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people.

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The study, published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, was the largest so far to analyze COVID-19 cases confirmed by virus genome sequencing.

-Reuters

Premier says police will enforce vaccine card rules

Premier John Horgan has told B.C. businesses to call the police if they face abuse from unvaccinated people trying to enter their establishments without B.C.’s vaccine card.

Horgan made the remarks at a news conference at Logan Lake on Friday afternoon.

“With respect to enforcement, it’s not unlike with respect to nightclubs or in the hospitality sector. Iif they have trouble with patrons, they call law enforcement and that’s what I would expect to happen,” said the premier.

Starting Sept. 13, proof of one vaccination will be required to enter restaurants, bars, nightclubs, casinos, sporting events, gyms and theatres. As of Oct. 24, proof of two vaccinations will be needed.

Horgan made his comments as the Health Ministry announced a significant jump in the number of new COVID-19 cases, 867 news cases, up from the 724 reported on Thursday.

The premier brushed off an unconfirmed report that someone in Nanaimo is already selling fake vaccination cards.

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-Lisa Cordasco

B.C. records three more COVID-related deaths, 867 new cases

The trend for COVID-19 infections in British Columbia continues upward with 867 new cases, the highest daily total in about four months.

Three more people have died, while 159 people are in hospital and 84 of those are in intensive care.

There are 5,657 active cases in the province and nearly 39 per cent of those are in the Interior Health region, where tougher restrictions were put in place this month.

Interior Health reported the most new cases with 350, followed by Fraser Health with 228 new cases, Vancouver Coastal Health with 165 new cases and Island Health and Northern Health with 63 and 61 new cases, respectively.

-The Canadian Press

Colleges won’t follow B.C. universities in testing unvaccinated students, staff

B.C. colleges will not be joining universities in requiring students, staff and visitors to disclose their vaccine status or undergo rapid testing for the COVID-19 virus because they say they are legally not allowed to do so.

A statement from B.C. colleges on Friday afternoon said provincial law prevents them from implementing the additional safety measures similar to those taken by universities.

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“Colleges operate differently from universities,” the statement said, “as they are considered agents of government under the College and Institute Act, and have determined they must follow the direction of the provincial health officer.” It said it would enforce orders issued by Dr. Bonnie Henry.

On Tuesday, Henry ordered that students who live on campus must be vaccinated and all students will need to comply with province-wide health orders to wear masks at all public indoor spaces immediately, and show proof of vaccination to enter non-essential services starting Sept 13.

The president of the faculty association at Vancouver Community College, Taryn Thomson, said college instructors are disappointed by the decision to forgo additional measures.

“The government is unnecessarily causing chaos by making different rules for different people in the same sector,” said Thomson. “The students in college nursing programs are required to be vaccinated, but other students at the college are not. The vaccine card means students will have to show proof of vaccination at some services on campus, but not in classrooms. It’s incredibly confusing.”

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— Lisa Cordasco and Tiffany Crawford


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

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