Provincial health officials says uncertainty about new variants BA.2
Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 02 Mar, 2022 11:05 AM
British Columbia's provincial health officer says there are still some uncertainties about new variants, including B-A-point-2, with some cases present in B-C.
Doctor Bonnie Henry says the province is prepared for a potential uptick in COVID-19 cases during the next respiratory season.
She says the province will integrate wastewater surveillance testing into its regular surveillance of respiratory illness including influenza, and also include other pathogens to get a periodic snapshot of what else may be circulating in communities.
Henry says a decline in hospitalizations, immunity from vaccination and the availability of at-home rapid tests point the way forward to normal activities like high school graduations, which young people need to feel connected to others.
There are 28,302 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 293,488 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 1,035 COVID-positive individuals are in hospital and 139 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
Dr. Bonnie Henry says 706 people have been hospitalized in the last week, but the numbers appear to be peaking. She says patients who contracted the dominant Omicron variant are going home in about half the time compared with those who are sickened with the Delta variant.
Jody Wilson-Raybould says allowing Indigenous self-determination would support the cultural, social and economic well-being of Indigenous Peoples, while giving nations, governments and industry the certainty needed during a transitional time.
Leader Jagmeet Singh is putting his weight behind the bill, tabled by his NDP colleague Gord Johns, decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of drugs including cocaine and heroin.
He wrote that MPs who want him out are confused about what direction to take the Conservative party--which has been a source of concern under O'Toole's tenure.
The growth in November pushed the GDP above pre-pandemic levels by 0.2 per cent, the agency says. The agency also says its initial estimate for December suggests real GDP was essentially unchanged for the final month of 2021 to bring growth to 4.9 per cent for the full year.
