B.C. records 437 new cases of COVID-19 and 3 more deaths
There are 211 people in hospital with the disease, 72 of whom are in intensive care
B.C. health officials announced 437 new cases of COVID-19 and three more deaths on Friday.
In a written statement, the provincial government said there are currently 2.994 active cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus in B.C.
A total of 211 people are in hospital, with 72 in intensive care.
Overall hospitalizations, which typically lag behind spikes and dips in new cases, are down by 24 per cent from last Friday, when 276 people were in hospital with the disease and 48 per cent from a month ago when 404 people were in hospital.
The number of patients in intensive care is down by 24 per cent from 95 a week ago and 38 per cent from last month when 117 people were in the ICU.
The provincial death toll from COVID-19 is now 2,381 lives lost out of 222,013 confirmed cases to date.
The regional breakdown of new cases is as follows:
- 127 new cases in Island Health, which has 664 total active cases.
- 105 new cases in Fraser Health, which has 871 total active cases.
- 93 new cases in Interior Health, which has 575 total active cases.
- 90 new cases in Vancouver Coastal Health, which has 589 total active cases.
- 22 new cases in Northern Health, which has 243 total active cases.
There are a total of four active outbreaks in assisted living and long-term and acute care.
Acute care outbreaks include:
- Ridge Meadows Hospital
As of Friday, 91.4 per cent of those 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, 88.4 per cent a second dose and 12 per cent a third dose.
When taking into account those five and older, 86 per cent of people in B.C. had received a first shot of a COVID-19 vaccine and 82.2 per cent a second dose.
So far, 8.9 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, including more than four million second doses.
Backlash for chiropractors opposing vaccine mandate
After B.C. chiropractors voted to oppose a vaccine mandate, Health Minister Adrian Dix told an industry representative he was doubting the wisdom of self-regulation.
The College of Chiropractors of B.C. voted at its Dec. 1 annual general meeting in favour of a resolution to "maintain the right to medical freedom of choice" for chiropractors.
Angie Knott, the executive director of the B.C. Chiropractic Association (BCCA), a voluntary professional organization, said in a Dec. 3 email to members that she spoke to Dix on the phone.
"Minister Dix indicated it was an embarrassment that a health profession would in such resounding numbers … support such unfounded and false claims while people are dying from COVID-19," Knott said.
The BCCA has also condemned the resolution.
"The BCCA was certainly appalled and disappointed at the misrepresentations made by that handful of chiropractors concerning the safety and science behind the COVID-19 vaccine," Knott said to CBC News after the meeting.