Case numbers continue to decline throughout B.C., and some communities have even managed to briefly report no new cases on some days this past week.

For instance, Northern Health reported no new cases on June 16, and it’s Island Health’s turn today to report zero new cases.  

Vaccinations

In an effort to increase vaccinations by making them easier to access, several regional health authorities announced some new ways to get vaccinated, with a focus on administering first doses.

For Fraser Health residents who may not be able to attend regular hours at vaccination clinics, Fraser Health is holding its first all-night Vax-a-thon this weekend at the Guildford Recreational Centre (15105 105th Avenue) in Surrey.

About 7,000 doses will be available for Fraser Health residents who need their first dose from 11 a.m. on Saturday (June 19) to 7 p.m. on Sunday (June 20).

To liven things up, this special event will feature live music and entertainment, and door prizes. Plus, an overnight mask-erade begins at 8 p.m. on June 19 in which attendees are encouraged to wear their fanciest masks, walk the red carpet, and pose at a selfie station.

For more details, visit the Fraser Health website.

Meanwhile, Interior Health is launching urban mobile immunization clinics next week. These clinics will be in various neighbourhoods in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Kamloops, Vernon, Penticton, and Salmon Arm.

The clinics will provide first doses to people who are 12 and above, and appointments aren’t required. A schedule and list of locations of these clinics is available at the Interior Health website.

Island Health also announced today that adults aged 18 years and older who need their first dose can now obtain them at mass immunization clinics as walk-ins without appointments. Clinic information is available at the Island Health website.

B.C. update: June 18

B.C. is reporting 109 new COVID-19 cases today, according to a joint statement from B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix.

By region, the total includes:

• 65 in Fraser Health;
• 26 in Interior Health;
• 13 in Vancouver Coastal Health;
• five in Northern Health;
• none in Island Health;
• no one from outside of Canada.

Active cases continue to decline. A drop of 62 cases leaves us with 1,389 currently active cases today.

Today, there are 128 individuals are in hospitals, which is three fewer patients than yesterday, but there are four more patients in intensive care units for a total of 48 people today.

Sadly, there is one new COVID-19-related death. A total of 1,740 people in B.C. have died of COVID-19-related reasons over the course of the pandemic.

A cumulative total of 143,748 people have now recovered, which includes 169 recoveries since yesterday.

During the pandemic, B.C. has recorded a cumulative total of 146,902 COVID-19 cases.

Almost 77 percent of all adults in B.C. and 75 percent of those 12 and older have now received their first vaccine dose.

A total of 4,296,151 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca vaccines have been administered in B.C., and 823,371 of those are second doses.

Outbreaks and exposures

None of the five regional health authorities listed any new healthcare or community outbreaks, or public exposure events.

Interior Health listed Earl's on Top Restaurant (211 Bernard Avenue) in Kelowna as being closed due to COVID-19 on June 18 and it will remain closed until June 27.  

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) added the following six flights to its lists of public exposures (affected row information is available at the BCCDC website when available):

• June 3: Air Canada 241, Edmonton to Vancouver;
• June 9: Air Canada 305, Montreal to Vancouver;
• June 12: Air Canada119, Toronto to Vancouver;
• June 12: Air Canada 296, Vancouver to Fort St. John;
• June 13: Turkish Airlines 75, Istanbul to Vancouver;
• June 14: Air Canada 553, Los Angeles to Vancouver.

McDonald’s listed the 4801 East Hastings Street location in Burnaby as having one employee testing positive and who last worked there on June 15.