British Columbia's top doctor says the surge in COVID-19 cases is fuelled by those between the ages of 20 and 40 who are unvaccinated or have only had one dose.
The latest daily case count reached 342 on Wednesday, a figure not seen since late May, but Dr. Bonnie Henry says clusters of infections were expected.
Henry says the key is that health officials aren't seeing widespread transmission to at-risk groups such as seniors because they have a high rate of immunization.
She says pandemic modelling shows the Delta variant is more transmissible, which means immunization rates must go up, and even a small increase in vaccinations makes a difference.
Health Minister Adrian Dix says people aren't obliged to get vaccinated, but warns that the unimmunized might face consequences at work and certainly if they hope to travel outside of the country.
I am not saying that a COVID-19 vaccine dose is fun, but our incredible teams are delightful and have have serious health care game besides. It is Walk In Wednesday. https://t.co/itwCV2fNVV
— Adrian Dix (@adriandix) August 4, 2021
Premier John Horgan gave kudos to people who took advantage of the Walk in Wednesday.
Thank you to everyone who has stepped up to get their vaccine. It's the most important thing we can do to protect ourselves, our families, and our communities.https://t.co/UaPsGbx8yY
— John Horgan (@jjhorgan) August 5, 2021
The government's promotion of "Walk-in Wednesday" saw more than 16,500 people go to clinics across the province without an appointment to get vaccinated, with more than 6,000 going for their first shot.
