B.C. opens AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines for ages 55 to 65, as province records 840 new cases

In a statement, Health Minister Adrian Dix said anyone in the Vancouver Coastal and Fraser health regions within that age range can call their local pharmacy to book a vaccination appointment.

Drop-in service may also be an option at more than 150 participating pharmacies. People must bring their personal health number with them.

The announcement comes one day after B.C. health officials paused the use of AstraZeneca vaccines in people under the age of 55 in response to European reports of rare but potentially fatal blood clots.

Similar measures are being taken across Canada in response to recommendations from the National Advisory Committee on Immunizations (NACI).

Health officials said that pause presents an opportunity to use those doses to protect people with higher COVID-19 risks sooner.

“We know from the millions of doses used worldwide, and especially in the U.K., it is highly effective and the benefits to those over age 55 far outweigh the very real risks of getting COVID-19,” Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said in a statement.

“I encourage everyone in the Lower Mainland who is between 55 and 65 years of age to receive their safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine today.”

Active cases remain high

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Dix also updated the province’s COVID-19 numbers Tuesday, putting the number of hospitalized patients at 312 people, 78 of whom are in intensive care.

There are currently 7,062 active cases of coronavirus in the province — the highest number since Jan. 3 — with public health monitoring 11,164 people across B.C. who are in self-isolation due to COVID-19 exposure.

A total of 90,401 people who tested positive for the virus have recovered, while 1,455 people in B.C. have died due to COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

So far, 724,193 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, with 87,319 of those being second doses.

B.C. recorded 320 new cases associated with variants of concern on Tuesday, bringing the total number of variant cases in the province to 2,553. Of those, 313 are active cases.

New restrictions

On Monday, the province recorded 2,518 new cases of COVID-19 from over the weekend, with a record high 936 on Saturday.

To interrupt the escalating transmission, Henry announced new restrictions that are in effect until at least April 19.

They include the closure of all indoor dining establishments, the suspension of indoor adult group fitness classes, as well as the temporary closure of the Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort.

Henry also outlined new school mask guidelines Monday for children in elementary school to help curb the rise in cases. The new guidelines now recommend masks for all students down to Grade 4 in schools across the province.

Henry was joined by Premier John Horgan, who singled out British Columbians aged 20 to 39, as the age cohort not paying enough attention to COVID-19 public health orders.

Whistler case count grows

Vancouver Coastal Health reported continued case growth in Whistler Tuesday.

In a statement, VCH said from March 22-28, 218 new cases of COVID-19 were detected in Whistler and 83.2 per cent of cases have been detected in people 20 to 39 years old. 

Between Jan. 1 and March 28, 1,120 cases have been recorded recorded in the Whistler community, the health authority said.

VCH said the most common transmission locations in Whistler are household settings and social gatherings.