What you need to know about COVID-19 in B.C. for March 29

THE LATEST:

• Officials have implemented new measures to restrict indoor dining, indoor group fitness and worship services.
• From Friday to Monday there were 2,518 cases of COVID-19 announced in B.C.
• Six new deaths were recorded.
• A total of 299 people are in hospital with 79 of those in intensive care.
• A total of 1,455 people have died in B.C. of COVID-19
• Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization is recommending a pause in the use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine forthose under the age of 55 because of safety concerns.
• Teachers' associations from across the Vancouver Coastal Health region are demanding better mask policies in schools.

B.C. Premier John Horgan joined Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and B.C. Minister of Health Adrian Dix at a Monday briefing to introduce sweeping new restrictions on indoor dining in restaurants, group fitness and worship services as COVID-19 cases surge.

Calling it a three-week "circuit breaker"-style lockdown, all food and liquor-serving premises must pivot to takeout or delivery service. Indoor dining is suspended, though patios will remain open.

People dining on patios should do so with their immediate household or core bubble only.

Indoor, adult group fitness activities of any kind are paused.

A previous announcement allowing for limited indoor worship services has been suspended.

Public health guidance for schools has also been amended and now encourages students down to Grade 4 to wear masks while at school.

The news comesasCanada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI)paused the use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine forthose under the age of 55 because of safety concerns.

B.C. had plans to use the AstraZeneca vaccine to immunize around 300,000 front line workers.

Teachers demand better mask policies

On Monday, teachers' associations from the seven municipalities in the Vancouver Coastal Healthregion demanded stronger mask policies be implemented in their schools, similar to what Surrey has done.

The president of the Richmond Teachers' Association said the group is calling on Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside to allow regional health authoritiesor individual school boards to expand the mask-wearing mandate locally.

"Wesee this as a logical response to rising case numbers, especially the variants of concern. Given the latest news about vaccinations, we feel we need to do everything we can to mitigate a COVID-19resurgenceor a third wave," said Liz Baverstock.

Surrey schools mask up

As students returned to school Monday following the spring break, Surrey school district'sexpandedmask mandate in schools now requiresall students in grades 4-12 to wear a mask at their desk.

For students in kindergarten to Grade 3, the district encourages mask wearing. The new directive applies to staff in all grades.

The district says exceptions will be made for anyone unable to wear a face covering, or those who can't put on or remove a face covering on their own.

Exceptions will also be madewhen a person is eating or drinkingand for teachers providing instruction more than two metres away from others.

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Getting the jab

People in Vancouver Coastal Healthand Fraser Health regions aged 73 and older i.e.,born in 1948 or earlier are now able to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment.

Those living on the Sunshine Coast or in Whistler, Squamish, Pemberton and Bowen Island are able to book if they are aged 70 and up, or born in 1951 or earlier.

Indigenous people aged 55 and olderborn in 1966 or earlierare also eligible to book.

While the age eligibility varies for other parts of the province, it is 74 and up for the Island Health and Northern Health regions.

Some vulnerable people who have received a letter from the province will also be able to begin booking vaccine appointments on Monday.

As of Friday, 637,856 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca-SII COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in B.C., of which 87,233 are second doses

READ MORE:

• A B.C. doctor living in Haida Gwaii has mixed science with off-the-wall humour to create educational COVID-19 videos he hopes will make vaccines less intimidating for the public.
• Home caregivers say they're falling through the cracks in B.C.'s vaccine rolloutplan.
• A research team at Victoria's Camosun College has come up with a way to safely store and transport vials of the temperature-sensitive Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine

What's happening elsewhere in Canada

As of 7:30p.m. PT Sunday, Canada had reported 965,404 cases of COVID-19, with 43,590 cases considered active.

A total of 22,880 people have died of the disease.