By Dylana Kneeshaw

COVID-19 UPDATE

A quiet Christmas ahead as B.C. extends restrictions on holiday gatherings

Dec 7, 2020 | 4:26 PM

VICTORIA — Current restrictions around events, and gatherings have been extended through to the new year, as British Columbia saw 35 more deaths, and 2,020 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry notes that BC is expecting its first delivery of vaccines to be delivered within the next several days.

“Next week we expect to receive our first delivery here in B.C of the Pfizer vaccine…” stated Dr. Henry, “It will be a start of a program. A very important start, but it will be just a small amount to start with to ensure that we get our logistics going. But our ability to start protecting our elders and seniors particularly in care homes and the healthcare workers who care for them will be an important step forward in our COVID-19 struggle.”

However with healthcare systems strained, she says current restrictions will stay in place until at least January 8, 2021 to keep the recent surge in transmissions from growing.

That means events impacted by the last updated measures will still be postponed, and social bubbles will continue to be limited to immediate household members.

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Outdoor events with drive-by options can still go forward, and drive-in events will be limited to 50 – provided participants remain in their vehicles.

In an update today (Dec. 7) Dr. Henry and Health Minster Adrian Dix say there are now 9,380 active cases in B.C. Of those, 349 people are in hospital with 77 patients in intensive care units.

There are currently 10,747 people under active public health monitoring in all areas of the province.

New case breakdown:

• 647 cases between Friday and Saturday (Dec. 4-5).
• 726 cases from Saturday to Sunday (Dec. 5-6).
• 647 cases from Sunday to Monday (Dec. 6-7).

Interior Health saw 203 new cases over the past three days and now has 14 people in hospital. There are currently 636 active cases within the health authority. IH has a new active outbreak at the Village by the Station in Penticton – with one staff member and one resident who tested positive for COVID-19.

The new cases grow the provincial case count to 38,152 since the pandemic began, spread through B.C. as follows:

• 9,725 — Vancouver Coastal (up 304)
• 24,261 — Fraser Health (up by 1,362)
• 724 — Island Health (up by 45)
• 2,265 — Interior Health (up by 203)
• 1,084 — Northern Health (up by 106)
• 95 — Reside outside of Canada (unchanged)