Photo courtesy Province of BC
Covid-19 update

‘We’re bending our curve slightly’ says Dr. Bonnie Henry

Dec 23, 2020 | 3:41 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — Doses of the new Moderna vaccine will arrive in British Columbia next week.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry confirmed the news today while providing the province’s latest epidemiological modeling.

That modeling showed that the likely source of Covid-19 infection is linked to known cases or to clusters and the highest rate of infection is in the 20-39 age group.

She said age is the biggest determinant in death due to COVID-19, pointing out just one person in B.C. between the age of 30 to 39 has died due to the virus and just four in the 40 to 49 age group.

Henry added that we’ve slightly bent the COVID-19 curve since new provincial health orders were put in place.

“Our second wave has leveled off and we remain lower than other provinces in Canada,” she said.

Despite that levelling, she acknowledged that the number of deaths in B.C. has been high, including 109 deaths from Dec.15 to the 21.

She reported 518 new cases today, including 31 in Northern Health. Nineteen more people have died bringing the provincial death toll to 796.

Three-hundred and forty-eight people are hospitalized in B.C. – 80 of whom are in critical or intensive care.

Henry said she’s excited the Moderna vaccine was approved by Health Canada today and says it offers hope moving forward though she warned we all need to adhere to proper social distancing guidelines.