February 25 COVID-19 Update: Here’s the latest on the coronavirus in British Columbia
Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know about the novel coronavirus situation in British Columbia
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Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know about the novel coronavirus situation in British Columbia for February 25, 2022.
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We’ll provide summaries of what’s happening in British Columbia here so you can get the latest news at a glance. This page will be updated regularly throughout the day, with developments added as we go.
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 signing up to our newsletter. here.
BC COVID-19 CASE NUMBERS
Here are the latest figures given on February 25:
• Total number of confirmed cases: 347,376
• New cases: 583
• Total number of deaths: 2,851 (12 new deaths)
• Hospitalized cases: 599
• Intensive care: 96
• Total vaccinations: 4,514,727 received the first dose (90.6% of the 5+ eligible population); 4,289,963 second doses (86.1%); 2,562,401 third doses (55.3% of adults)
• Long-term care homes and assisted living facilities, and acute care facilities currently affected: 27
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IN DEPTH : Here are all the cases in British Columbia of the new coronavirus in 2021 | in 2020
BC GUIDES AND LINKS
• COVID-19: British Columbia’s vaccine passport is here and here’s how it works
• COVID-19: Fear of needles? Here’s how to overcome your fear and get vaccinated
• COVID-19: Here’s where to get tested in Metro Vancouver
• British Columbia COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool
LATEST NEWS on COVID-19 in British Columbia
British Columbia reports 12 more COVID-19 deaths as hospitalizations continue to drop
British Columbia has recorded 12 more deaths related to COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 2,851
A statement from the Ministry of Health shows that the number of people hospitalized due to COVID-19 fell again with 599 people hospitalized on Friday, compared to 612 the day before.
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The ministry said people who received two or more doses of a vaccine accounted for 66.3% of hospitalizations in the two-week period that ended Wednesday.
It says there has been one new outbreak at one health care facility for a total of 27 facilities with outbreaks, most of which are long-term care homes.
More than 93% of eligible people aged 12 and over received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 55.3% received a booster shot.
The province reported 583 new cases of COVID-19, although health officials said the number was likely higher due to testing capacity limits.
– The Canadian Press
Public health mandates could return, but favor a lighter touch in the future: Tam
Canadian governments should be prepared to resume public health measures if another serious variant of COVID-19 emerges, even if they reduce mandates for masks and vaccines, the country’s public health official said Friday.
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Several provinces have announced plans to end COVID-19 restrictions, signaling a return to normal now that the Omicron wave is receding.
“We cannot remain in a heightened state of emergency indefinitely. We have to start healing,” Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said earlier this month, announcing that the province would lift all remaining COVID-19 restrictions, including gathering limits and rules of indoor masking, March 1.
Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Friday that she is indeed hopeful that Canada is past the pandemic crisis and is now in a transitional phase, heading towards recovery.
But it’s still unclear what the novel coronavirus that has upended life around the world for nearly two years will do next, and she said Canada must be prepared to reinstate some public health measures if case numbers start to start again. to increase sharply.
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Read the full story here.
— The Canadian Press
Canada approves Medicago’s plant-based COVID-19 vaccine for adults
Health Canada on Thursday authorized a new COVID-19 vaccine that it touted as the first green-lit vaccine to be developed by a Canadian company and the first to be made with plant-based technology.
Known as Covifenz, the vaccine was developed by Medicago, a Quebec-based biotech company that uses a host plant to make virus-like particles that help the body’s immune system make antibodies.
Dr. Supriya Sharma, chief medical adviser at Health Canada, said the active ingredients in the vaccine are made up of particles that “mimic the spike protein of the virus that causes COVID-19”.
This allows the body to recognize them and trigger an immune response.
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“Virus-like particles are grown in plants that look like tobacco plants, which can produce large amounts of virus particles in a short time,” Sharma said Thursday during a virtual press briefing. “Once these particles are injected into the body, they trigger the immune system to produce antibodies against the virus.”
—The Canadian Press
Rate of positive COVID-19 tests in Northern Health exceeds 25%
According to the latest data, more than a quarter of all people who take COVID-19 PCR tests in the Northern Health Region are reporting positive, compared to just 4% in Vancouver Coastal Health.
The seven-day average for Northern Health on February 23 was 25.7% after peaking at 31.2% on February 9.
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This means that for every 100 lab tests performed in the northern health region, 26 are positive.
In contrast, on February 23, the seven-day average at Vancouver Coastal Health was 4% after peaking at 20.8% on January 4.
On February 23, the rate of positive tests at Fraser Health – which is the largest health region in British Columbia – was 6.6%.
Interior Health was 17.2% and Vancouver Island Health was 20.6%.
Fewer than 700 people receive first dose of vaccine on Wednesday
The British Columbia Ministry of Health says 672 people received a first dose of the vaccine on Wednesday, bringing that total to 90.6% of British Columbians aged five and older.
The latest data shows that 6,459 people received a third booster shot on the same day, while 2,650 people received a second dose.
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There were 597 new cases of COVID-19 identified through PCR testing in the past day, which does not accurately reflect the cases due to limited testing.
The number of people hospitalized because of or with COVID-19 continues to drop and is now at 612 – including 102 cases in intensive care.
Nine people have died from the disease in the past day and there are 29 active outbreaks in health facilities.
DEATH BY HEALTH AUTHORITY
WHAT HAPPENS IN CANADA
LOCAL RESOURCES for COVID-19 information
Here are a number of information and landing pages for COVID-19 from various health and government agencies.
• British Columbia COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool
• Vancouver Coastal Health – Information on Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
• HealthLink BC – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information Page
• BC Center 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
