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Most B.C. COVID cases are in 20- to 40-year-olds with one or fewer doses: top doctor

Most B.C. COVID cases are in 20- to 40-year-olds with one or fewer doses: top doctor | iNFOnews.ca
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry talks about B.C.'s plan to restart the province during a press conference at Legislature in Victoria, B.C., on May 25, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

VANCOUVER – 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.

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.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 5, 2021.

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Marshall Jones

News is best when it's local, relevant, timely and interesting. That's our focus every day.

We are on the ground in Penticton, Vernon, Kelowna and Kamloops to bring you the stories that matter most.

Marshall may call West Kelowna home, but after 16 years in local news and 14 in the Okanagan, he knows better than to tell readers in other communities what is "news' to them. He relies on resident reporters to reflect their own community priorities and needs. As the newsroom leader, his job is making those reporters better, ensuring accuracy, fairness and meeting the highest standards of journalism.

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