More COVID cases, more vaccines

A significant increase in new infections due to COVID-19 on Friday was accompanied by news of a faster rollout of vaccine.

There were 589 new cases of the disease, about 150 more than had been recorded in recent 24-hour periods.

Of the new cases, 39 were in the Interior Health region.

Two new vaccines were approved by the federal government on Friday, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and the Verity Serum Institute of India vaccine. The new vaccines are fridge-stable and easier to transport than vaccines already in use.

“This new vaccine will be integrated into our provincial immunization program as delivery and supply is confirmed in the coming weeks,” provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a joint release.

“This additional supply will allow us to look at accelerating immunization of priority populations and essential workers,” they said.

“This is another exciting and encouraging step forward for all of us,” they said. “It means we have one more layer of protection available to us and are one step closer to getting through this pandemic.”

While more details of the mass vaccine roll-out will be announced Monday, Interior Health is already preparing immunization clinics in the Kelowna area.

For example, one will be held Tuesday for residents of the Mountainview Village retirement home on KLO Road. It is only for people who reside in the Independent Living and Assisted Living sections of the building, where there was a COVID-19 outbreak in the long-term care wing in December and January.

The COVID-19 outbreak at Kelowna General Hospital has six cases associated with it, Interior Health said Friday. Five patients and one staff have tested positive for the disease.

There has been one death connected to the KGH outbreak, reported earlier this week as being on Unit 4B, IH said.

Meanwhile, Interior Health said Friday there have been no new cases at Big White since its last update on Feb. 15. A total of 237 people tested positive since the cluster was declared in late November.

Five cases are still active with those affected in self-isolation.

"We can’t thank all of our team members, our season passholders, and our on-mountain community enough for their continued vigilance and support during these trying times,” resort vice-president Michael Ballingall said in a release.