B.C. ‘absolutely on track’ for stage 4 of reopening plan, says Henry

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – What life looks like in the fall hinges on vaccination rates, according to B.C.’s top doctor. She’s urging everyone to get immunized against COVID-19.

Despite a recent rise in cases, Dr. Bonnie Henry remains confident B.C. will enter stage 4 of its reopening plans in early September.

“We absolutely are on track,” Henry told NEWS 1130.

“I’m confident that we’re going to be in a good place here in B.C. Today and this week is another opportunity for people to get protected,” she said, noting that could change if those who are vaccine hesitant remain that way.

“As we go into September, there will other unknowns,” Henry added. “As this virus is circulating around the world, it’s changing. We’ve seen that with the Delta variant and with other strains of the virus that are arising.”

According the province’s re-opening plans, Sept. 7 is the earliest date we could enter stage 4, where masks become a personal choice, we return to normal social contact, and concerts would be allowed again.

Watch: Central Okanagan travel discouraged amid COVID-19 outbreak

Henry remains concerned about the Delta variant and the number of people who are still unimmunized. That said, Henry says she believes people will do the right thing.

It is the first-ever “Walk-In Wednesday,” when eligible British Columbians can drop into clinics across the province to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The latest figures show 82.3 per cent have received one shot, while 69.7 per cent have received two.

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Henry tells us she’s heard from a lot of people about why they haven’t received their shots yet.

“There’s very few people that are really against the vaccine. There’s a lot of people who have some questions, still, and we need to answer those questions,” Henry said.

“A lot of people have told me they have busy lives, they haven’t had the opportunity, it’s been a challenge to find access to the vaccine — especially in some of the smaller communities,” she added.

All COVID patients in ICU in Interior Health are unvaccinated, Henry says

However COVID-19 cases have been rising in recent weeks, with 201 recorded on Tuesday. There were 243 new infections recorded on Friday, a figure we hadn’t seen since late May.

The number of British Columbians hospitalized with the illness and in the ICU have also been on the rise, standing at 53 and 19 as of Tuesday.

“We look at the Interior [where] all of the people who are ICU right now — and there are some younger people who have had quite severe disease — are unvaccinated,” Henry said.

The Interior Health Authority has been recording more than half the new and active cases in recent days. An outbreak has been declared in the Central Okanagan, which includes Kelowna. Health officials are advising unvaccinated people avoid travelling to or from the area.

Watch: Walk-in vaccine clinics open across B.C. on Wednesday

All British Columbians aged 12 and up are eligible for a vaccine.

“It protects us and we know that right now, with the virus circulating — higher in some areas than others — that it protects us. It also protects those around us, the people that we’re likely to spread it to. That’s really important, right now.”