A paramedic helping at the COVID-19 drive-through testing center has a swab used for the COVID-19 test moments before testing it on November 24th. (Crystal Schick / Yukon News)
BC now has 28 cases of the UK and South African variants of COVID-19
Dr. Henry admits he was “very concerned” after seeing the transmission speed of the variant around the world
BC has discovered 10 more cases of the UK and South African variants of COVID-19 in the past few days, bringing the total number of infections in the province to 28.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, released data Friday February 5, extending a statewide ban on social gatherings.
“It’s very worrying to us,” said Henry. “These variants have led to increased transmission in some regions of the world. We see this in the UK and in places like Portugal and Ireland. “
Between the variants, 19 cases of British tribe and 9 cases of South African tribe were identified – the majority being the British variant.
Henry stated that half of the new cases were transmitted domestically without the infected having recently traveled.
READ MORE: The COVID-19 Variant Is Predicted To Lead To An “Unmanageable” Case Rise In BC: Report
According to an update from the health authority on Friday, Dr. Teresa Tam, announced to the public that there are at least 272 cases of coronavirus variants in Canada.
Canadian epidemiologists believe the variants are 60 percent more transmissible than the COVID-19 strain that first circulated.
RELATED: BC Extends Restrictions On Collecting COVID-19 As Infections Slow Down
sarah.grochowski@bpdigital.ca
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