Close X
Thursday, November 28, 2024
ADVT 
National

B.C. gets 1.7 million calls as vaccine lines open

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 08 Mar, 2021 07:09 PM
  • B.C. gets 1.7 million calls as vaccine lines open

Call centres in British Columbia received 1.7 million calls today in less than three hours after they opened to book COVID-19 vaccine appointments for some of the province's oldest residents.

The call centres opened at 7 a.m. at the Fraser, Island, Interior, Northern and Vancouver Coastal health authorities to make appointments for people 90 years and older, and Indigenous people who are 65 and older or identify as elders.

Health Minister Adrian Dix says there are about 47,000 people in the province who are 90 and up and 35,000 who are Indigenous people over 65, so he urged anyone who is not calling on behalf of someone in those categories to hang up the phone.

Dix says health authorities are booking thousands of appointments and plenty of time slots remain.

There are still five days left to book for people in those age groups, so if callers don't get through today, he says there is still time.

He says the phone lines are the focus right now because of the age of those who are eligible, but Fraser Health has online booking, and a broader web-based system will become a larger component of booking as younger age categories get their turn.

Dix says the "enormous" response today reflects the significant support for vaccination in the province.

Health authorities announced dozens of sites Sunday where B.C.'s oldest residents will go to receive their vaccine.

MORE National ARTICLES

Teachers at B.C. school protest over COVID safety

Teachers at B.C. school protest over COVID safety
Matt Westphal, the president of the Surrey Teachers Association, says the biggest concern is that students in elementary schools are not required to wear masks inside their classrooms.

Teachers at B.C. school protest over COVID safety

Crown seeks six years for Rideau Hall incident

Crown seeks six years for Rideau Hall incident
Corey Hurren, 46, rammed through a gate at Rideau Hall and headed on foot toward Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s home at Rideau Cottage while heavily armed on July 2.

Crown seeks six years for Rideau Hall incident

B.C. allows restaurants to buy wholesale liquor

B.C. allows restaurants to buy wholesale liquor
The provincial government made temporary changes last June to allow the hospitality industry to buy alcohol at the same cost as liquor stores and it has now made that decision permanent.

B.C. allows restaurants to buy wholesale liquor

Canada, Australia team up on online regulation

Canada, Australia team up on online regulation
A statement from Ottawa says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison have agreed to continue "co-ordinating efforts" to address online harm and ensure social media companies pay for journalism.

Canada, Australia team up on online regulation

Surrey RCMP want public assistance in finding the owner of a box of sports tickets

Surrey RCMP want public assistance in finding the owner of a box of sports tickets
On October 22, 2020, Surrey RCMP received a report of lost or stolen property which was found in the area 140 Street and 19 Avenue.

Surrey RCMP want public assistance in finding the owner of a box of sports tickets

What's driving drop in global COVID cases?

What's driving drop in global COVID cases?
Charts and graphs depicting the COVID burden among most countries, including Canada and the United States, are showing steep dives from all-time highs just weeks ago.

What's driving drop in global COVID cases?