By Canadian Press

B.C. holding COVID-19 vaccination update; premier attending

Aug 23, 2021 | 4:01 AM

VICTORIA — Premier John Horgan, along with the health minister and provincial health officer, will be holding a briefing on COVID-19 vaccinations in British Columbia this afternoon.

Specific details on the update or what would be announced were not immediately available.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Friday that B.C. may not be able to move to the next step in its COVID-19 restart plan as quickly as expected.

The comment comes as case counts surge in the Interior Health region, forcing officials to expand restrictions currently in place in the central Okanagan, such as mandatory mask wearing and reduced limits on indoor and outdoor events, across the entire region.

British Columbia reported 663 new cases of COVID-19 Friday. More than half of the 6,345 active cases were in the Interior Health region. 

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Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix attributed the spike in cases in the Interior to lower vaccination rates.

The displacement of many residents ordered out of their homes because of wildfires has made containing COVID-19 especially challenging, Henry said. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 23, 2021.

The Canadian Press