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COVID-19 update for June 16: Here’s the latest on coronavirus in B.C.

Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C.

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Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C. for June 16, 2021.

We’ll provide summaries of what’s going on in B.C. right here so you can get the latest news at a glance. This page will be updated regularly throughout the day, with developments added as they happen.

Check back here for more updates throughout the day. You can also get the latest COVID-19 news delivered to your inbox weeknights at 7 p.m. by subscribing to our newsletter here.


B.C.’S COVID-19 CASE NUMBERS

As of the latest figures given on June 16:

• Total number of confirmed cases: 146,674 (1,454 active cases)
• New cases since June 15: 113
• Total deaths: 1,738 (4 new deaths)
• Hospitalized cases: 134
• Intensive care: 41
• Total vaccinations: 4,165,142 doses administered; 710,847 second doses
• Recovered from acute infection: 143,449
• Long-term care and assisted-living homes, and acute care facilities currently affected: 4

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IN-DEPTH:COVID-19: Here are all the B.C. cases of the novel coronavirus


B.C. GUIDES AND LINKS

• COVID-19: Here’s everything you need to know about the novel coronavirus

• COVID-19: Here’s how to get your vaccination shot in B.C.

• COVID-19: Look up your neighbourhood in our interactive map of case and vaccination rates in B.C.

• COVID-19: Afraid of needles? Here’s how to overcome your fear and get vaccinated

• COVID-19: Five things to know about the P1 variant spreading in B.C.

• COVID-19: Here are all the B.C. cases of the novel coronavirus in 2021

• COVID-19: Have you been exposed? Here are all B.C. public health alerts

• COVID-19 at B.C. schools: Here are the school district exposure alerts

• COVID-19: Avoid these hand sanitizers that are recalled in Canada

• COVID-19: Here’s where to get tested in Metro Vancouver

B.C. COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool


LATEST NEWS on COVID-19 in B.C.

3 p.m. – B.C. reports 113 new cases of COVID-19 and four deaths

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says there are 1,320 active cases of COVID-19 in the community with 134 being treated in hospital, including 41 in intensive care.

Henry reported 113 new cases over the past day and four deaths – bringing that total to 1,738 since the pandemic was declared in March, 2020. COVID-19 cases, active cases and hospitalizations are all falling.

Henry said B.C. had among the highest levels of dose one vaccination in the world. On Tuesday there were 62,237 doses administered across B.C., most of which (53,356) were second doses. There have now been 3,454,295 people in B.C. who have received at least one dose of vaccine, or 74.5 per cent of people aged 12 and over.

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1 p.m.  – Pandemic to last at least two years, says UK health official

COVID-19 variants will continue to emerge and “we will not be through this pandemic until the whole world has the ability to get vaccinated,” Susan Hopkins, deputy director of Public Health England’s National Infection Service, said at a House of Commons science committee meeting.

“And that realistically is two years away.”

“And until that, where we get some level of control over everything, we will continue to see variants emerge, we will continue to run behind as we try and understand this, and we will get to a position of stability, where we are with … seasonal influenza.

– Bloomberg

12:45 p.m. –  Vancouver couple plead guilty to jumping vaccine queue in Yukon 

A husband and wife accused of flying to a remote Yukon community to receive doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in January have each pleaded guilty to two counts of violating of the territory’s Civil Emergency Measures Act.

Rodney Baker, the former CEO of the Great Canadian Gaming Corp., and Ekaterina Baker appeared remotely Wednesday in a Whitehorse courtroom to plead guilty to failing to self-isolate for 14 days and failing to act in a manner consistent with their declarations upon arriving in Yukon.

The territorial court heard the couple from Vancouver chartered a plane to Beaver Creek, a small community near the Alaska border, where they were vaccinated at a mobile clinic before flying back to Whitehorse.

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Enforcement officers later intercepted the couple as they were in line to fly back to Vancouver and handed them violation tickets.

Chief Judge Michael Cozens agreed with a joint sentencing submission, ordering the Bakers to pay the maximum of $500 for each charge, a total of $1,000 each, plus a victim surcharge.

The court heard the Bakers had each donated $5,000 to the global vaccine sharing effort known as COVAX, while the judge encouraged the couple to offer their reparations directly to the Beaver Creek community, which is home to the White River First Nation.

– The Canadian Press

11 a.m. – Fraser Health closes Langley car dealership due to COVID-19 transmission

Titanium Auto Group T2, a vehicle dealership at 19602 Fraser Highway in Langley, was ordered closed Monday by Fraser Health due to COVID-19 transmission within the workplace.

Workplace closures are ordered when three or more staff members contract COVID-19 through likely workplace transmission.

The closures typically last 10 days or until otherwise determined by the medical health officer.

There are just two other B.C. workplaces currently closed due to the spread of COVID-19 and they are both in Quesnel. MikeGroSite Consulting on 1818 Maple Drive and Dewan Enterprises at 474 Willis Street were both ordered closed on May 10 but were due to reopen on June 16.

10:30 a.m. – Three-quarters of eligible Canadians partly vaccinated

Three-quarters of eligible Canadians are now partly vaccinated against COVID-19.

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Vaccinations given on Tuesday were enough to push Canada over 24.75 million first doses, the first target on the pathway out of the pandemic.

Federal modelling this spring suggested if 75 per cent of eligible Canadians got their first dose, and at least 20 per cent were fully vaccinated, we can safely start to loosen public health restrictions.

When 75 per cent of eligible Canadians have both doses, we will be able to start being less strict about personal protections like social distancing and face masks.

Close to 5.5 million people now have their second dose, or almost 17 per cent.

There will be enough vaccine delivered to get a second dose to 75 per cent of Canadians by the end of July.

– The Canadian Press

8 a.m. – Two B.C. flights added to COVID-19 exposure list

A pair B.C. flights have been added to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control COVID-19 exposure list.

The affected flights were:

June 10: Japan Airlines 18, Tokyo to Vancouver

June 13: American Airlines 1415, Dallas to Vancouver

All passengers arriving in Canada on international flights are required to self-isolate and monitor for symptoms for 14 days. As well, international travellers arriving in Canada by air must also spend up to three days of their quarantine period in a government-approved hotel.

7:40 a.m. – Cruise industry hit with positive tests

Royal Caribbean delays Odyssey of the Seas launch after crew tests positive for COVID-19

Royal Caribbean Group said on Wednesday it would delay the inaugural sailing of its Odyssey of the Seas cruise liner by nearly a month after eight crew members tested positive for COVID-19.

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The news comes a week after two people tested positive for the virus on one of its Celebrity cruises, where the infected travelers were quarantined.

– Reuters

7:15 a.m. – Canada begins to reopen: Ontarians free to travel to Quebec, Manitoba today

As COVID-19 vaccination rates increase and case numbers drop across the country, the provinces and territories have begun releasing the reopening plans for businesses, events and recreational facilities.

Most of the plans are based on each jurisdiction reaching vaccination targets at certain dates, while also keeping the number of cases and hospitalizations down.

Ontario’s borders with Quebec and Manitoba fully reopen today after a provincial order restricting interprovincial travel between those provinces expired at midnight. The regulation was introduced in April as Ontario battled a third wave of COVID-19. It applied to land and water borders.

Travel between the regions was limited to essential reasons such as health care, custody or compassionate grounds like attending a funeral. It also allowed law enforcement to stop and question people about their reasons for entering Ontario.

– Canadian Press

6:45 a.m. – Trudeau tests negative for COVID, exits hotel quarantine in Ottawa after 12 hours

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is being allowed to check out from his quarantine hotel roughly 12 hours after checking in.

Trudeau’s office says he received his negative COVID-19 test Wednesday morning and can now leave the three-star Ottawa lodging.

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Members of his delegation to Europe who landed in Ottawa around 7 p.m. were tested on arrival and received negative test results the next day at about 8 a.m.

Those in the hotel were told to remain in their rooms, and were given lunch boxes on arrival and a boxed breakfast at their door.

Trudeau was overseas from last Thursday until Tuesday for summits with other G7, NATO and European leaders.

His office says Trudeau will follow public health rules and advice for Canadians returning from abroad during the pandemic, as will the officials and journalists who also went overseas.

The rules include quarantining for 14 days and taking another COVID-19 test about seven days after arrival.

– Canadian Press

12 a.m. – Next steps on Canada-U.S. border reopening will likely be revealed by Monday: Liberal minister

OTTAWA — As business organizations and some premiers put increasing public pressure on the federal government to outline a plan to reopen the Canada/U.S. border, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic Leblanc suggested July could start to see a gradual reopening.

Next Monday is the day the current cabinet order restricting land travel to the U.S. needs to be renewed, and Leblanc said the next order may give dates on how a phased reopening could start. He suggested the reopening would not begin right on June 21 itself, but perhaps in the following weeks.

“This shouldn’t be a surprise, because we’ve talked about potential measures that could be phased in at some point in July,” Leblanc told reporters on Tuesday. “We may signal in the renewal of these (orders) some modest, phased-in adjustments at the border, but with a date fixed (by cabinet) to take effect. It doesn’t have to take effect on the 21st of June…We’ll have more to say in the coming days around a phased-in approach at the border.”

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has previously said the government will start with allowing fully vaccinated travellers to cross the border.

Government officials are working on various logistical issues, including how to establish a digital vaccination certificate that would be accepted by border officials in other countries. Part of that includes securing agreements with provincial governments, Leblanc said.

– Postmedia News

TUESDAY

3 p.m. – No deaths reported in B.C. as one-dose vaccination effort leads world

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has reported no COVID-19 deaths and 108 new cases of the disease. She said there were 1,357 active cases in the community and 139 being treated in hospital, including 39 in intensive care.

Canada has the highest proportion of adults vaccinated with one dose in the world, at 65 per cent, while B.C. leads Canada with 76.1 per cent – making it a world leader.

According to World in Data, Canada tops Israel, the U.K. and Chile in first doses, however those countries have a greater percentage fully vaccinated.

On Monday, there were 55,000 doses of vaccine delivered – mostly Pfizer – of which 44,000 were second doses. There have now been 657,491 second doses administered to 14.5 per cent of adults in B.C., and 76.1 per cent of adults have had at least one dose.

– David Carrigg

3 p.m. – Western premiers want Ottawa to present detailed Canada-U.S. border reopening plan this week

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Western premiers are pressing the federal government to come up with a plan to open up the U.S.-Canada border to non-essential travel, but they haven’t reached a consensus on exactly when or how that should happen.

The federal government has been deciding on a monthly basis whether to renew the restrictions at the Canada-U.S. border, with the current order due to expire Monday.

Travel restrictions were one of the topics on the agenda at a western premiers’ conference Tuesday.

After their 3 1/2-hour long virtual meeting, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said he would like to see the border with the U.S. reopen early in July while other premiers, including B.C. Premier John Horgan, wouldn’t commit to a date. Instead, Horgan challenged Ottawa to lead with a plan to reopen Canada’s border first.

“There was unanimity among the provinces when we closed the border, but since then there has been a back-and-forth across Canada — north and south, east and west — on what is the best way forward. Come Thursday, when we meet with the prime minister, we expect the federal government to have a plan and we will work on building consensus after that,” said Horgan.

All of Canada’s premiers will be meeting with Prime Minister Trudeau on Thursday to discuss the issue.

– Lisa Cordasco


B.C. MAP OF WEEKLY COVID CASE COUNTS, VACCINATION RATES

Find out how your neighbourhood is doing in the battle against COVID-19 with the latest number of new cases, positivity rates, and vaccination rates:

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B.C. VACCINE TRACKER



LOCAL RESOURCES for COVID-19 information

Here are a number of information and landing pages for COVID-19 from various health and government agencies.

B.C. COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool

Vancouver Coastal Health – Information on Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

HealthLink B.C. – Coronavirus (COVID-19) information page

B.C. Centre for Disease Control – Novel coronavirus (COVID-19)

Government of Canada – Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Outbreak update

World Health Organization – Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak

–with files from The Canadian Press

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