covid-19 update for sept. 7: b.c. rolls out fall booster shot program | 'freedom convoy' organizers ask judge to unfreeze $450,000 in donations

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covid-19: b.c.’s fall booster program offers bivalent moderna vaccine to all adults

b.c. health officials are encouraging british columbians to get a covid-19 booster shot in the fall in a bid to stave off a possible surge of infections during the respiratory season.

more than 1.2 million doses of moderna’s new bivalent vaccine are set to arrive in b.c. this month. that supply could be boosted by another 517,000 doses if health canada approves the pfizer bivalent vaccine, which is under review.

read the full story here.

— cheryl chan, susan lazaruk

‘freedom convoy’ organizers ask judge to unfreeze $450,000 in donations 

“freedom convoy” leaders are asking the court to release hundreds of thousands of dollars in frozen donations to pay for their appearance at the federal inquiry into the use of the emergencies act.

the funds, donations made to the “freedom convoy” and later frozen by court order, were placed into escrow — an arrangement where a third party holds the funds until certain conditions are met — awaiting the conclusion of a proposed class action lawsuit against the “freedom convoy” leaders.

the suit was filed on behalf of centretown residents and businesses who are seeking damages for the noise and chaos caused during the protests in late january and february.

in a notice of motion filed friday, a group of defendants in that class action suit said they needed access to $450,000 from the escrow account to pay for their legal representation at the public order emergency commission, the federal inquiry into the use of the emergencies act.

the group of defendants includes prominent “freedom convoy” organizers tamara lich and chris barber.

read the full story here.

— postmedia news

efforts to punish stores for covid-19 mask policies fail at b.c. human rights tribunal

the b.c. human rights tribunal has dismissed two cases of people who were refused service for not wearing a mask in stores during the height of the covid-19 pandemic and then claimed they were discriminated against.

most recently, the tribunal tossed out a case that was brought by john ratchford against best buy canada.

according to the tribunal, ratchford alleged that best buy had discriminated against him on the grounds of physical disability when he was denied access to one of its stores because he said he could not wear a mask.

the incident occurred on oct. 21, 2020 when ratchford entered a store without a mask.

read the full story here.

— david carrigg

canada approves first covid vaccine specifically targeting omicron, 780,000 doses to be delivered friday

health canada has approved its first covid-19 vaccine specifically targeting the omicron variant and provinces could begin administering them as early as next week.

health minister jean-yves duclos said a first batch of 780,000 of the new “bivalent” vaccines will be delivered to canada from producer moderna on friday. by the end of september, 10.5 million doses should have arrived in the country.

rollout of the vaccine will then be left up to provinces. thursday, ontario’s health minister sylvia jones said the new shots would first be earmarked for the most vulnerable, such as long-term care residents and health-care workers.

health canada said most eligible adults aged 18 years and older will likely be able to receive a booster of the updated moderna vaccine this fall and winter. that timeline could be accelerated with the receipt of doses of a similar modified vaccine by pfizer, which could also be approved by health canada in the coming weeks.

canada’s chief medial adviser supriya sharma explained thursday that the updated “bivalent” vaccine is different from the original strain “because it targets two coronavirus strains, the original sars-cov-2 virus from 2019, and the omicron ba.1 variant.”

the original omicron ba.1 variant became the driving force of the rapid spread of covid-19 last winter, but was quickly overtaken as the dominant strain by the more transmissible ba.4 and ba.5 variants in june. by the end of july, ba.5 accounted for over 80 per cent of new infections, according to health canada statistics.

the latest vaccine approval comes as many canadian public health experts expect a surge of new covid-19 infections in the fall and winter (as has been the case every year since the pandemic began).

— national post

china locks down 65 million, discourages holiday travel

china has locked down 65 million of its citizens under tough covid-19 restrictions and is discouraging domestic travel during upcoming national holidays.

across the country, 33 cities including seven provincial capitals are under full or partial lockdown covering more than 65 million people, according to a tally published late sunday by the chinese business magazine caixin.

it said that outbreaks have been reported in 103 cities, the highest since the early days of the pandemic in early 2020.

despite a relatively low number of infections, authorities have adhered to a “zero-covid” policy requiring lockdowns, quarantines and the confining of people suspected of being in close contact with any confirmed case.

china recorded 1,552 new cases in the latest 24-hour period across a nation of 1.4 billion people, the national health commission reported monday.

 — the associated press

the omicron booster is coming to b.c. here’s what you should know

as b.c. begins to roll out a new vaccine that boosts immunity against the omicron variant of the virus that causes covid-19, many residents may have questions about whether they should get the new jab.

click here to read some questions and answers that may help with any queries.

— tiffany crawford

canada authorizes moderna’s omicron-adapted covid vaccine for adults

health canada has approved a new covid-19 vaccine from moderna that targets both the original strain of the novel coronavirus and the omicron variant.

the new shots approved by health canada, called bivalent vaccines, are designed to recognize specific mutations in the spike protein of the omicron ba.1 subvariant.

in a decision posted on health canada’s website, the regulator says data show the new vaccine induces a similar immune response to the original strain of the covid-19 virus and significantly higher responses to the omicron ba.1 variant, when compared with the earlier version of the moderna vaccine.

the united kingdom approved moderna’s bivalent vaccine two weeks ago, and the united states food and drug administration gave moderna and pfizer-biontech’s omicron-fighting shots the green light earlier this week.

u.s. fda green lights omicron-targeted covid boosters ahead of revaccination campaign

the u.s. food and drug administration on wednesday authorized updated covid-19 booster shots from pfizer /biontech and moderna that target the dominant ba.4 and ba.5 omicron subvariants, as the government prepares for a broad fall vaccination campaign that could begin within days.

the new vaccines also include the original version of the virus targeted by all the previous covid shots.

the fda authorized the shots for everyone ages 12 and older who has had a primary vaccination series and is at least two months out from a previous booster shot, shorter than prior recommended intervals.

read the full story here.

— reuters

what are b.c.’s current public health measures?

masks: masks are not required in public indoor settings though individual businesses and event organizers can choose to require them.masks are also encouraged but not required on board public transit and b.c. ferries, though they are still required in federally regulated travel spaces such as trains, airports and airplanes, and in health care settings.

gatherings and events: there are currently no restrictions on gatherings and events such as personal gatherings, weddings, funerals, worship services, exercise and fitness activities, and swimming pools.there are also no restrictions or capacity limits on restaurants, pubs, bars and nightclubs; and no restrictions on sport activities.

care homes: there are no capacity restrictions on visitors to long-term care and seniors’ assisted living facilities, however, visitors must show proof of vaccination before visiting.

exemptions are available for children under the age of 12, those with a medical exemption, and visitors attending for compassionate visits related to end-of-life. visitors to seniors’ homes are also required to take a rapid antigen test before visiting the facility or be tested on arrival. exemptions to testing are available for those attending for compassionate visits or end-of-life care.

how do i get vaccinated in b.c.?

everyone who is living in b.c. and eligible for a vaccine can receive one by following these steps:

• get registered online at gov.bc.ca/getvaccinated to book an appointment in your community.
• or, if you prefer, you can get registered and then visit a drop-in clinic in your health authority.
• the system will alert you when it is time to go for your second dose.
• the same system will also alert you when it is time for your booster dose.

where can i get a covid-19 test?

testing centres: b.c.’s covid-19 test collection centres are currently only testing those with symptoms who are hospitalized, pregnant, considered high risk or live/work with those who are high risk. you can find a testing centre using the b.c. centre for disease control’s testing centre map.

if you have mild symptoms, you do not need a test and should stay home until your fever is gone. those without symptoms do not need a test.

take-home rapid antigen tests: eligible british columbians over the age of 18 with a personal health number can visit a pharmacy to receive a free take-home test kit containing five covid-19 rapid antigen tests.

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