Chief medical health officer Dr. Richard Stanwick says up to 18,000 frontline workers in Island Health can receive a COVID-19 vaccine faster than anticipated. (Island Health)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

COVID update

31 new COVID-19 cases in Island Health as frontline workers become eligible to apply for vaccines

Apr 30, 2021 | 4:17 PM

NANAIMO — The number of active COVID-19 cases in Island Health continue to drop as good news was announced for essential workers.

Island Health announced 31 new cases on Friday, April 30. New cases have been in the low 30’s for several days but the number of active cases continues to drop. It fell from 304 last Friday to 253 on the 30th.

There are currently 93 active cases in the central Island area.

Frontline workers in Island Health will be eligible to book their vaccine appointments starting Saturday, May 1 regardless of their age. Each worker will be given a code to access the province’s online booking tool.

This includes police officers, firefighters, daycare operators, teachers and their assistants, announced Island Health chief medical health officer Dr. Richard Stanwick Friday afternoon.

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Dr. Stanwick said while overall transmission in Island Health is currently low, cases have impacted schools and daycares to a higher degree.

“It certainly got a little higher after our spring break, same goes for daycares, we’re certainly seeing daycares and people working in those settings acquiring the virus.”

Dr. Stanwick said more vaccine is arriving next week with millions of doses expected in the second quarter of 2021.

“We could see an accelerated first dose campaign (and) possibly even a second dose campaign. How we can perhaps best utilize those second doses is really a very pleasant problem to worry about,” Dr. Stanwick said.

Across the province a further 740 new cases were announced as active cases dropped to 7,886.

There were four new fatalities.

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