B.C. records 338 new cases of COVID-19 and 1 more death

B.C. health officials announced 338 new cases of COVID-19 and one more death on Tuesday.

In a written statement, the provincial government said there are currently 3,568 active cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus in B.C.

A total of 376 people are in hospital, with 107 in intensive care.

Overall hospitalizations, which typically lag behind spikes and dips in new cases, are down by nearly 12 per cent from last Tuesday, when 426 people were in hospital with the disease.

The number of patients in intensive care is down by about 13 per cent from 124 a week ago.

The provincial death toll from COVID-19 is now 2,274 lives lost out of 213,358 confirmed cases to date.

The regional breakdown of new cases is as follows:

• 160 new cases in Fraser Health, which has 1,297 total active cases.
• 57 new cases in Northern Health, which has 510 total active cases.
• 42 new cases in Island Health, which has 513 total active cases.
• 40 new cases in Vancouver Coastal Health, which has 506 total active cases.
• 39 new cases in Interior Health, which has 683 total active cases. 
• There are no new cases among people who reside outside of Canada, a group which has 59 total active cases.

There are a total of 23 active outbreaks in assisted living, long-term, and acute care facilities. The province has declared the outbreak at Swedish Assisted Living Residence over.

Acute care outbreaks include:

• Queen's Park Care Centre
• Abbotsford Regional Hospital
• Burnaby Hospital
• Ridge Meadows Hospital
• Royal Inland Hospital
• Bulkley Valley District Hospital
• Nanaimo Regional General Hospital

As of Tuesday, 90.7 per cent of those 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 86.8 per cent a second dose.

From Nov. 8 to 14, people who were not fully vaccinated accounted for 60.5 per cent of cases and from Nov. 1, they accounted for 68.5 per cent of hospitalizations, according to the province.

So far, 8.45 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, including over four million second doses.

Health Canada to review Moderna's vaccine for children

Moderna is seeking approval from Health Canada for a second pediatric COVID-19 vaccine, according to a statement from the health agency on Tuesday.

Pfizer-BioNTech submitted its application on Oct. 18. under the vaccine's brand name, Comirnaty, while Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is being marketed as Spikevax.

In its statement, Health Canada said it would "prioritize" its review of Moderna's submission, as it does with all COVID-19 vaccines, "while maintaining its high scientific standards for safety, efficacy and quality."

"Health Canada will only authorize the use of Spikevax in children if its independent and thorough scientific review of the data in the submission shows that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks in this age group."

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the province is counting on Health Canada to do their due diligence with the vaccine approvals.

She said she expects shots to be available for registered children before Christmas.

Henry also confirmed that the province has received its first shipment of about 5,000 doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, originally marketed as a one-shot product. The priority for those doses will be health-care workers who have objected to being vaccinated with the other shots available to date.

Health Minister Adrian Dix noted that flooding has also required 150 patients to be moved from hospitals in affected areas, and another 48 transfers will be necessary.

Meanwhile, Henry announced that B.C. has its first three confirmed cases of the new delta variant sub-lineage AY 4.2 in a family cluster in the Fraser Health region. The so-called "delta plus" variant has previously been seen in other parts of Western Canada.

"The strains of the delta variant we're seeing are spreading much faster and causing more serious illness in younger people," Henry said.

"Our best defence continues to be vaccination."