The BC Vaccine Card will remain required carry to access a wide range of non-essential businesses and events until the summer with the province extending its use through to the end of June. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

NOT THERE YET

Vaccine card program extended through June as hospitalizations remain high

Jan 25, 2022 | 3:57 PM

NANAIMO — B.C.’s provincial health officer still believes the province is on a downward slide from the fifth wave of COVID-19.

Dr. Bonnie Henry said the trend of new cases is continuing to work down, however the news is not all positive, pointing to increasing hospitalizations with COVID patients.

“The number of people remains high and is the highest it has been in our pandemic and it’s putting signficant strain on our healthcare system,” Henry said during her Tuesday, Jan. 25 briefing in Victoria.

The rolling seven day average of new cases, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control, was approximately 933 as of Monday, Jan. 24, down from a high of 3,340 in early January.

The assertion came as the province extended use of the BC Vaccine Card program through to the end of June, however, Dr. Henry stated if the province is “in a better place” they could revoke its use earlier.

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“The BC Vaccine Card program is specifically designed to address and mitigate those risks that allow us to keep certain businesses and activities open.”

The program limits access to a variety of non-essential businesses and events to people aged 12 and up without a vaccination history against COVID-19.

Dr. Henry said at some point the BC Vaccine Card will become no longer necessary, but the province wasn’t at the point to dismiss it yet.

Vaccination continued to be pushed during Tuesday’s briefing, with data from public health showing both vaccination status and age being the two most common risk factors to determine whether a person is more susceptible to a severe outcome from COVID-19.

Despite a drop in efficacy compared to other strains of the virus, public health still said it’s a persons best layer against COVID-19 infection and transmission.

“Those booster doses give good, strong protection against Omicron as well, it boosts up that protection for severe disease and hospitalization but it also decreases your risk of contracting the virus, probably by 50 to 60 per cent.”

Around 89 per cent of residents aged 12 and up in greater Nanaimo and Oceanside have received two doses of vaccine, while 82 per cent of people aged 70+ have gotten their booster shot.

The province also announced the resumption of youth sports, effective Feb. 1. Tournaments and other league play had been suspended in a bid to limit travel and prevent spread of the virus.

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