What you need to know about COVID-19 in B.C. for Jan. 14

THE LATEST:

• On Thursday, B.C. health officials confirmed 536 new cases of COVID-19 in B.C. Another seven people have died.
• The provincial death toll from COVID-19 reached 1,038.
• There are 362people in B.C. hospitals, including 74 in intensive care.
• There are4,624 active cases in the province.
• To date,69,746people have received a COVID-19 vaccine in B.C.
• B.C. has identifiedits first case of the infectious coronavirus variant first seen in South Africa.
• B.C. is seeking legal advice on whether an inter-provincial travel ban is doable.Many British Columbians are still waiting for theirB.C. Recovery Benefitpayout.
• B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix says a review is underway after some doctors in Vancouver jumped the queue to get a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
• Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has added her voice to those condemning businesses for denying Indigenous people entry due toCOVID-19 fears, calling it racism.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix confirmed536 newcases of COVID-19 in the province, and 4,624active cases on Thursday.

Another seven deaths were reported Thursday, bringing the provincial to1,038.

There are 4,624 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C. There are 362 people in hospital with the coronavirus, including 74 in intensive care.

Two new outbreaks were declared Thursday while two more were declared over. There are 52 active outbreaks in long-term care as of Thursday and 12 active outbreaks in acute care.

Henry also announced that B.C. has detected its first case of the coronavirus variant that was first detected in South Africa.

Henry said a single person has been found to have the variant. That person had not recently travelled and an investigation is looking into how that person may have contracted it.

She added that testing has found four cases of the variant first discovered in the U.K.: three, she said, are connected to one traveller and the other is connected to a second traveller. She said she does not believe it has been spread to other people.

Seeking legal advice on travel ban

The B.C. government is gettinglegal advice to determine whether an inter-provincial travel ban is an option, legally, as a way toprotectthe province, as COVID-19 case numbers soar in other parts of Canada.

Premier John Horgan on Thursday said he and other leaders will be speaking about the issue later in the day and on Friday during a virtual, two-daycabinet retreat this week, with the goal to nail down which options the government can take if any byend of the summit.

He said he hopes to announce an update on the issue early next week.

Henry has added her voice to those condemning businesses for denying Indigenous people entry due toCOVID-19 fears, calling it racism.

The CBC has learned that Save-On-Foods in Powell River, the Glen Lyon Restaurant in Port Hardy, and a dentist's office in Duncan all refused service to Indigenous people, citingcases of COVID-19 in their communities as a reason.

The businesses claimed they weretrying to stopCOVID-19from spreadingfrom nearby Indigenous communities.

Meanwhile,B.C.'s seniors advocateIsobel Mackenzieis investigating to see what went wrongat Little Mountain Place in Vancouver the location of B.C.'s deadliest care home outbreak. Forty-oneresidents infected with the virus have died, while71staff and 99 of 114 residents have tested positive.

While a million British Columbianshave already received their B.C.Recovery Benefit, more than 400,000 others are still waiting for their applications to be approved. Thetax-free cash payout can mean up to $1,000dollars for eligible families and $500 dollars for individuals.

B.C.'s Finance Minister Selina Robinson said Wednesday that staff are working through a high volume of applications, and will continue to do so in the coming weeks.

Health Minister Adrian Dixsays it's "very disappointing'' that some doctors in Vancouver jumped the queue to get a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Dix says there will be an investigation into these incidents. The province's vaccination strategy has been to maximize the number of people getting vaccinated by extending the interval between doses as far as possible.

Some doctors and nurses have expressed concern over the dose interval, though Henry herself has said it falls within national and World Health Organizationrecommendations.

B.C.'s health restrictions are in effect until at least Feb. 5 at midnight. The current orders includea ban on gatherings with people outside of one's immediate household.The province's non-essential travel advisoryremains in place, including travel into and out of B.C., andbetween regions.

READ MORE:

• Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has added her voice to those condemning businesses for denying Indigenous people entry due toCOVID-19 fears, calling it racism.
• Over 400,000 British Columbians are still waiting for their B.C. Recovery Benefit.
• Health Minister Adrian Dix says his department will lookinto instances where doctors in Vancouver received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccination ahead of schedule.
• An emergency room doctor in Whistleris calling for restrictions on inter-provincial travel after seeing aconcerning number of patients from Ontario and Quebec over the holidays.
• B.C.'s vaccination program has begun in earnest. Questions remain about how it will roll out.
• This online calculator estimates when you'll receive your COVID-19 vaccine.

What's happening elsewhere in Canada

As of 5p.m. PT on Wednesday, Canada had reported 681,328cases of COVID-19, with 79,293cases considered active.

A CBC News tally of deaths stood at 17,383.

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