Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, says the government will ensure that people can get their second doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine and Health Canada will continue to review studies on mixing vaccines.
– B.C. reports 515 new cases, two more deaths
British Columbia reported 515 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday and two more deaths, for a total of 1,624 fatalities since the start of the pandemic.
There are 6,020 active cases of the disease in B.C., of which 426 are being treated in hospital, including 141 in intensive care.
All of those numbers have dropped significantly over the last week. On May 4, B.C. reported 7,161 active cases and 486 hospitalizations, including 173 people in ICU.
In a joint statement, B.C. health minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said there have been 2,219,856 doses of vaccines administered in B.C., 110,516 of which are second doses.
“We are calling on every adult in our province to join our efforts and register for your vaccine today. Last week, almost 400,000 people registered for their vaccine. We can break that record this week,” the statement said.
British Columbia has also extended its state of emergency, which was first declared March 18, 2020, until May 25.
The declaration allows police to issue fines to those who defy provincial health office orders, such as the ban on social gatherings.
Between Aug. 21 and May 7, B.C. police have issued 1,974 violation tickets, including 361 fines of $2,300 to organizers of public events and 1,508 fines of $230 for failing to comply with the orders.
– Ontario to pause first doses of AstraZeneca vaccines
Ontario’s top doctor says the province will stop giving out first doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
Dr. David Williams says the decision has been made out of an abundance of caution because of increased instances of a rare blood clotting disorder linked to the shot.
The move comes hours after Alberta said it won’t give out more first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for the time being because there aren’t any confirmed shipments coming.
The AstraZeneca vaccine has been linked to a new blood clotting syndrome that is extremely rare but can be fatal.
