What you need to know about COVID-19 in B.C. for Jan. 15

THE LATEST:

• B.C. health officials confirmed 509new cases of COVID-19 in B.C. on Friday. Another ninepeople have died.
• A total of1,047people in B.C.have lost their lives due to COVID-19 since the pandemic began.
• There are 349people in hospital, including 68in intensive care.
• Active cases continue to fall in the province, with the tally at4,604 active cases.
• To date,75,914 people have received a COVID-19 vaccine in B.C.
• Thirteen more cases have been linked to the Big White community cluster.
• B.C. has identifiedits first case of the infectious coronavirus variant first seen in South Africa.
• B.C. is seeking legal advice on whether an inter-provincial travel ban is doable.
• The director of UBC's school of public health has resigned after travelling during the holidays.

B.C.'s curve has started to bend down again following abump after the holidays, but health officials are warning British Columbiansto keepfollowing public health measures as they watch for two confirmed coronavirus variants in the province.

Health officials announced 509new cases of COVID-19 in the province on Friday. Active cases continued to fall, with the tally now at 4,604.

Another ninepeople have died from the virus, bringing the provincial death tollto1,047.

B.C. recorded onenew health-care outbreakat the Hilltop House care homein Squamish, B.C.

Interior Health hasidentified 13 additional cases of COVID-19 linked to the Big White Mountain community cluster. The total number of cases identified to date is 175.

Of those, 110 reside on Big White Mountain. There are32active cases at the resortand 143 people who have recovered.

Vaccine delay

A total of 75,914 people have been vaccinated in B.C. so far.

On Friday, the federal government announced thatglobal pharmaceutical giant Pfizer willtemporarily reduce shipments of its vaccinein order to expand manufacturing capacity at afacility in Belgium.

That means fewer shipments of the Pfizer vaccineto Canada at least until March.

Henry and Dix said they were were disappointed to hear about thedelay. Theprovince is working with the federal government to determine how the delay may impact the rollout in B.C.

Officials said they would provide more information in the coming days.

New variant

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henryannounced on Thursday the first confirmed case in B.C. of a more infectious coronavirus variant discovered in South Africa.

Henry saidhealth officials are investigating how the person in B.C. contracted the variant, as they have not travelled or been linked to any travellers.

She also confirmed four total cases in the province of the variant linked to the U.K. All four cases have been traced and officials don't believe they have led to spread, Henry said.

Both variants spread more easily and rapidly, and have led to surging cases in a number of countries.

On Friday, during an interview on CBC's The Early Edition,Health Minister Adrian Dix said officials are concerned about another variant linked to Columbus, Ohio.

Dix did not say there were any cases of the variant detected in B.C. at this time.

Seeking legal advice on travel ban

The B.C. government is gettinglegal advice to determine whether an inter-provincial travel banwould be doable or constitutional as a way toprotectthe province, as COVID-19 case numbers soar in other parts of Canada.

Premier John Horgan on Thursday said he and other leaders would be speaking about the issue later in the day and on Friday during a virtual, two-daycabinet retreat, with the goal to nail down which options the government can take if any by the end of the summit.

He said he hopes to announce an update on the issue early next week.

Henry said she would not issue a public health order against inter-provincial travel.

"It's hard to see how that is feasible in British Columbia, for many reasons," she said. "Our borders are very different. We have many ways that people can cross, particularly from Alberta."

Dr. TheresaTam,Canada's chief medical health officer, says stopping non-essentialtravelwould be a difficult decision for B.C., but it could reduce COVID-19 transmission by cutting the number of contacts.

Tam saidB.C.'s decision to seek legal advice reinforces the message that it isn't time to go on a cross-country vacation.

UBCdirector resigns after holiday travel

Peter Berman has resigned as director of the University of British Columbia's School of Population and Public Health just over a week after admitting to holiday travel during the school's winter break.

Berman announced his resignation in a Friday statement posted online. He said it would take effect at the end of the day.

Berman saidin a letter posted last weekthat he travelled to Hawaii.

Businesses deny Indigenous people entry

CBC has learned that Save-On-Foods in Powell River, the Glen Lyon Restaurant in Port Hardy, and a dentist's office in Duncan, B.C., all refused service to Indigenous people, citingcases of COVID-19 in their communities as a reason.

The businesses claimed they weretrying to stopCOVID-19from spreadingfrom nearby Indigenous communities.

In a statement, Henry saidthe incidents were an issue of racism.

"COVID-19 has illuminated longstanding inequities and in particular those faced by First Nations in B.C.," she said.

"I want to add my voice to the chorus who have condemned such behaviour."

What else you need to know

Meanwhile,B.C.'s seniors advocateIsobel Mackenzieis investigating what went wrongat Little Mountain Place in Vancouver the location of B.C.'s deadliest care home outbreak. Forty-oneresidents infected with the virus have died, while71staff and 99 of 114 residents have tested positive.

While a million British Columbianshave already received their B.C.Recovery Benefit, more than 400,000 others are still waiting for their applications to be approved. Thetax-free cash payout can mean up to $1,000dollars for eligible families and $500 dollars for individuals.

B.C.'s Finance Minister Selina Robinson said Wednesday that staff are working through a high volume of applications, and will continue to do so in the coming weeks.

Dixsays it's "very disappointing'' that some doctors in Vancouver jumped the queue to get a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Dix says there will be an investigation into these incidents. The province's vaccination strategy has been to maximize the number of people getting vaccinated by extending the interval between doses as far as possible.

Some doctors and nurses have expressed concern over the dose interval, though Henry herself has said it falls within national and World Health Organizationrecommendations.

B.C.'s health restrictions are in effect until at least Feb. 5 at midnight. The current orders includea ban on gatherings with people outside of one's immediate household.The province's non-essential travel advisoryremains in place, including travel into and out of B.C., andbetween regions.

READ MORE:

• An emergency room doctor in Whistleris calling for restrictions on inter-provincial travel after seeing aconcerning number of patients from Ontario and Quebec over the holidays.
• B.C.'s vaccination program has begun in earnest. Questions remain about how it will roll out.
• This online calculator estimates when you'll receive your COVID-19 vaccine.

What's happening elsewhere in Canada

As of 4p.m. PT on Thursday, Canada had reported 688,891cases of COVID-19, with 77,956 cases considered active.

A CBC News tally of deaths stood at 17,383.

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