B.C.'s order for Pfizer vaccine being slashed in half for February and March isn't deterring public health from being slightly optimistic. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

covid-19 update

Province claims residents seeing light at end of the COVID-19 tunnel

Jan 15, 2021 | 4:08 PM

NANAIMO — The province says B.C. residents are “finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel” despite the number of new daily COVID-19 cases remaining high.

The claim made in Dr. Bonnie Henry’s statement on Friday, Jan. 15 reflected the increasing rollout of vaccines to B.C.’s most vulnerable.

“As of today, thousands of people working and living in long-term care homes, health-care workers and those in remote or at-risk Indigenous communities have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine,” it said.

Just under 76,000 people have received their first of two vaccine doses.

The optimistic statement from the province comes as the vaccine rollout suffered a blow.

stranger attacks

Man viciously beats Nanaimo security guard and attacked stranger in Campbell River

3h ago

no snow

Chances of a white Christmas for Nanaimo 'quite remote'

16h ago

vehicle damage

Over 40 vehicles damaged during late-night Nanaimo vandalism spree

22h ago

Pfizer ran into production trouble while upgrading their facility, which the province admitted will create a short-term delay in the delivery of some vaccines.

Earlier on Friday, health minister Adrian Dix said the shortage will have a significant effect in February and March when only half of the 50,000 doses expected will be delivered.

Dix said this may mean public health officials will revisit leaving 35 days between the first and second dose of the vaccine, instead of the 21 to 28 days recommended by the World Health Organization. The gap was extended in an effort to provide more of the first dose to more people.

There was good news in Dr. Henry’s statement, which confirmed 509 new COVID-19 cases with 4,604 considered active. This is a decrease of roughly two hundred in two days.

Hospitalizations dipped to 349 with the number of people in critical care at its lowest point since November.

Island Health saw 13 new cases, with 175 considered active. This is a drop of more than 20 cases in two days. Ten people are in hospital for their symptoms including two receiving critical care.

The central Vancouver Island area remains the most affected in the health authority, with roughly two thirds of all active cases.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @nanaimonewsnow

Join the conversation. Submit your letter to NanaimoNewsNOW and be included on The Water Cooler, our letters to the editor feature.