Walk-in Wednesday clinics vaccinate thousands

More than 33,000 British Columbians showed up at clinics throughout the province and got vaccinated during the first Walk-in Wednesday, including more than 7,600 first doses.

“From Vanderhoof to Victoria, from Chilliwack to Creston, we saw thousands of people throughout B.C. drop in for Walk-in Wednesday and do their part to get vaccinated,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “With nearly 68% of eligible people now fully vaccinated in our province, every dose we administer brings us closer to our goal. The best way to keep us all safe is to get vaccinated.”

On Aug. 4, the province set aside 20,000 doses for walk-in vaccinations for anyone 12 and older who needed their first dose, or for people eligible for their second dose. More than 80% of those doses were administered, with 37.6% being first doses. The total number of first doses administered on Walk-in Wednesday was the highest total of first doses given in a day since July 10, 2021.

“Our province is currently facing a wave of cases in the unvaccinated,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer. “Events like Walk-in Wednesday are critical for making it even easier for people to get their vaccines. I am grateful to all the British Columbians who have rolled up their sleeves to get their COVID-19 vaccine – this simple act brings us one step closer to putting the pandemic behind us.”

As of Thursday, Aug. 5, 81.7% (3,785,216) of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 68.4% (3,172,287) have received their second dose.

In addition, 82.6% (3,571,104) of all eligible adults in B.C. have received their first dose and 70.6% (3,053,283) have received their second dose.

B.C. is reporting 402 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 151,375 cases in the province.

There are currently 2,066 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 147,510 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 58 individuals are currently in hospital and 21 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.

The new/active cases include:

* 234 new cases in Interior Health (total active cases: 1,121);

* 82 new cases in Fraser Health (total active cases: 449);

* 41 new cases in Vancouver Coastal Health (total active cases: 290);

* 20 new cases in Northern Health (total active cases: 67);

* 25 new cases in Island Health (total active cases: 127);

In the past 24 hours, no new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 1,772.

There are five active outbreaks in long-term care at Holyrood Manor (Fraser Health), Kootenay Street Village, Nelson Jubilee Manor, Cottonwoods Care Centre and Brookhaven Care Centre (Interior Health).

Since December 2020, the province has administered 6,965,062 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.

* There are still many options for people throughout the province to get vaccinated. A full list is available here.

While registering and booking your vaccine appointment is the best option to secure a dose, many clinics continue to offer walk-in opportunities.

Lead image: As more people get vaccinated, more businesses and services open back up for the public, prompting happy-to-see signs such as this one in Kimberley’s Platzl. Carrie Schafer/e-KNOW photo

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