Dix urges vigilance amid surge in cases

As COVID-19 hospitalizations hit another record high in B.C., Health Minister Adrian Dix said news of delays in Moderna's vaccine shipments to Canada is disappointing.

“The sooner we get vaccines in people's arms, the better, and inconsistency in delivery is a consistent problem,” Dix said in a statement on Friday.

Shipments of Moderna vaccines to Canada will be slashed in half through the rest of April due to delays in expanding production capacity, said the federal government.

That delay, however, will be offset by the purchase of eight million additional doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, which will start arriving in May.

“Doses in April would be more helpful, but we appreciate the ongoing effort and commitment of the federal government,” Dix said.

Canada is also expecting to receive its first shipment of about 300,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in late April.

On Friday, B.C. recorded more than 1,000 new COVID cases, six additional deaths, and a third straight day of record hospitalizations, with 425 people in hospital with the coronavirus, surpassing the record of 409 set Thursday.

Out of hospitalized patients, 127 are in intensive care, up two from the previous day.

With abundant sunshine and warm temperatures expected for B.C.'S south coast this weekend, Dix reminded people to practise COVID-19 safety protocols even when outdoors. Being outdoors is less risky than being indoors, but still carries risks.

“Even if we are outside, we need to stay small and continue to use our layers of protection,” he said in a statement with Dr. Bonnie Henry.