Although today’s COVID-19 numbers are provisional, Interior and Fraser Health are showing roughly equivalent new and active cases, with the bulk of the new cases in those health regions.

Meanwhile, Vancouver Coastal Health continues to have the most active cases.

In other news, a video surfaced of a white male vaccine protestor yelling racist insults at a security guard, who is Sikh, during an anti-vaccination protest at an immunization clinic in Kelowna. RCMP are now investigating the incident as a potential hate crime.

B.C. update: July 15

The B.C. Health Ministry stated that today’s total and new case numbers “are provisional due to a delayed data refresh and will be verified once confirmed”.

So for now, the B.C. Health Ministry is reporting 54 new COVID-19 cases today.

Currently, there are 650 active cases, which is an increase of 11 cases since yesterday.

The new and active cases include:

• 20 new cases in Interior Health, with 161 total active cases (an increase of four cases since yesterday);
• 19 new cases in Fraser Health, with 168 total active cases (three more cases since yesterday);
• nine new cases in Vancouver Coastal Health, with 258 total active cases (same number as yesterday);
• five new cases in Island Health, with 29 total active cases (five more cases than yesterday);
• one new case in Northern Health, with 28 total active cases (same number as yesterday);
• no new cases among people from outside of Canada, with six total active cases remaining (one fewer case since yesterday).

At the moment, 63 individuals are currently in hospital (two fewer cases since yesterday) and 12 of those patients are in intensive care units (one more than yesterday).

Unfortunately, Vancouver Coastal Health has had one new death, which increases the cumulative fatalities to 1,761 people who have died of COVID-19-related reasons.

With 42 recoveries since yesterday, 145,859 people who tested positive have recovered.

During the pandemic, B.C. has recorded a cumulative total of 148,282 cases.

Vaccinations

In B.C.’s immunization program, the Province has administered 5,942,064 doses of Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.

As of today, 79.4 percent (3,681,088) of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 48.6 percent (2,253,818) of them received their second dose.

In addition, 80.5 percent (3,481,176) of all eligible adults in B.C. have received their first dose and 51.9 percent (2,246,289) have now received their second dose.

Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) will be holding some temporary drop-in vaccination clinics in Vancouver and North Vancouver to help reach youth and families who may be out and about.

Coinciding with the Trout Lake Farmer’s Market held on Saturdays, VCH will hold one clinic at Trout Lake Park (at 13^th Avenue and Lakewood Drive) in East Vancouver from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday (July 17).

Then from Monday to Friday next week (July 19 to 23), VCH will offer a clinic at the Pipe Shop (115 Victory Ship Way) in the Shipyards District in North Vancouver.

At both clinics, anyone who needs a first dose will be prioritized and second doses will be administered if supplies permit. 

Outbreaks and exposures

Currently, there is only one active healthcare outbreak remaining:

• acute care: Laurel Place at Surrey Memorial Hospital (Fraser Health);
• longterm care: none;
• assisted or independent living: none.

McDonald’s has listed that a second employee at the 1301 Trans Canada Highway location in Golden, B.C., who last worked from July 8 to 11, has tested positive.