What you need to know about COVID-19 in B.C. for Dec. 21 - Action News
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British Columbia

What you need to know about COVID-19 in B.C. for Dec. 21

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced Monday that another 1,667 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed over the last three days, and 41 people have died.

3,644 health-care workers have now received the COVID-19 vaccine

An Ottawa grocery store worker says she sees groups of five or six at her store, despite signs asking that only one person per household do the shopping. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

THE LATEST:

  • 1,667 newcases have been confirmed in the last three days.
  • Another 41 people have died.
  • There are now 341 people in hospital with COVID-19, including 80 in critical care.
  • As of Monday, there are9,718 active cases across B.C.
  • 3,644 people who work in health care have received a vaccine against the novel coronavirus.
  • More B.C. businesses are now eligible to receive a $30,000 recovery grant.
  • Eligible British Columbians can now applyfor the B.C. Recovery Benefit.
  • The provinceis ramping up enforcement of public health ordersto ensure more people are following its mask mandate and social gathering restrictions.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced Monday that another 1,667 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed over the last three days, and 41 people have died.

There are now 9,718 active cases of the novel coronavirus in B.C. Of those, 341 people are in hospital, including 80 in intensive care.

"We are starting to see a levelling of our COVID-19 curve in B.C., but it is levelling at a very high level, which means that transmission continues to happen" Henry cautioned.

To date, there have been47,067cases of the virus in B.C., including 713 people who have died.

Henry announced Monday that 3,644 people who work in health care received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine last week, and doses have now arrived in every health authority in the province.

She also addressed the new variant of the coronavirus that has appeared in the U.K. Henry says that while there is no evidence so far that this variant affects the severity of illness, it does appear to transmit more easily.

Scientists at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control have reviewed genomic sequencing of the virus as it's appeared in this province, and so far have not found any evidence of the new variant here.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry answers questions during a press conference in Victoria on Sept. 9. (Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press)

Over the weekendNorthern Health declared an outbreak of COVID-19 at two accommodation sites for workers on the Coastal GasLink LNG pipeline project near Burns Lake, B.C.

The health authority says 27 people have tested positive for the virus so far, and 17 cases are still active. The outbreak is at the 7 Mile Lodge in Burns Lake and the Little Rock Lake Lodge in Nechako.

Interior Health also announced that the number of cases connected to theBig White ski resortnear Kelowna, B.C., has jumped to 76.

Eligibility widened for $30K business grant

More businesses in B.C. that have been adversely affected by the pandemic will now beeligible to receive a grant of up to $30,000 after adjustments were made to theSmall and Medium-Sized Business Recovery Grant Program.

Ravi Kahlon, theprovince's Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation, announced changes to the program on Monday to allow for "more businesses [to] access this much-needed funding."

"While many businesses have benefited from our government's supports and programs, we wanted to do more," Kahlonsaid in a written statement.

Businesses that are temporarily closed or seasonal are now also eligible for the grant, as well as businesses that have been in operation for the past 18 months.

Businesses that have experienced a minimum revenue loss of 30 per cent at the time of application, instead of 50 per cent previously, are eligible. The requirement to list a variety of remittance accounts like the registration number for the goods and services tax has been removed.

"Helping business owners pivot and get through this tough time is essential. We are grateful for the revisions to the grant program and the support it offers to businesses facing financial pressures," said Ian Tostenson, president and CEO of the B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association.

The grant for the tourism sector has also been increased and businesses affected are eligible for a grant up to $45,000.

B.C. Recovery Benefit

Applications for the B.C. Recovery Benefit are now open and eligible adults in the province can applyonline for the $1,000 benefit.

Families with incomes under $125,000 areeligible to receive $1,000 and families earning up to $175,000 qualify for a reduced amount. Single-parent families also qualify for these amounts.

Single people earning less than $62,500 qualify for a $500 payment and individuals earning up to $87,500 will qualify for a reducedamount. The criteria is based on 2019 tax returns.

Also on Friday, Health Minister Adrian Dix said 1,376 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were administered to health-care workers, for a total of 2,592 to date.

Meanwhile, RCMP in the Fraser Valley say they have writtentickets totalling $18,400 to representatives from three local churches for hosting in-person servicescontrary to provincial orders.

New testing guidelines announced

On Thursday, Henry announced new guidelines for COVID-19 testing. She said anyone who has had contact with a known case and has any possible symptoms should get tested immediately.

There are four key symptoms that should also prompt immediate testing, irrespective of whether there has been any contact with a COVID-19 case. The symptoms arefever or chills, cough, loss of sense of smell or taste, and difficulty breathing.

Symptoms like sore throat, loss of appetite, extreme fatigue, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea are a lower priority for testing. Anyone experiencing one or two of those symptoms should wait 24 hoursand then get tested if they still feel the same or worse.

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What's happening elsewhere in Canada

As of 8 p.m. PT on Sunday,Canada's COVID-19 case count stood at 507,795, with76,859 of those cases considered active.

A CBC News tally of deaths based on provincial reports, regional health information and CBC's reporting stood at 14,228.

What are the symptoms ofCOVID-19?

Common symptoms include:

  • Fever.
  • Cough.
  • Tiredness.
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Loss of taste or smell.
  • Headache.

But more serious symptoms can develop, including difficulty breathing and pneumonia.

What should I do if I feel sick?

Use the B.C. Centre for Disease Control's COVID-19 self-assessment tool. Testing is recommended for anyone with symptoms of cold orflu, even if they're mild. People with severe difficulty breathing, severe chest pain, difficulty waking upor other extreme symptoms should call 911.

What can I do toprotect myself?

  • Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. Keep them clean.
  • Keep your distance from people who are sick.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
  • Wear a mask in indoor public spaces.
  • Be aware ofevolving travel advisoriesto different regions.

More detailed information on the outbreak is available on thefederal government's website.

With files from The Canadian Press