What you need to know about COVID-19 in B.C. for May 17

THE LATEST:

• Health officials will provide aCOVID-19 updatetodayat 3 p.m. PT, the first update in three days.
• On Friday the province announced494 new cases.
• Two new deaths were announced, bringing thenumber of deaths in B.C. due to COVID-19 to1,634.
• A total of 387 people were in hospital on Friday, with 141 in intensive care.
• As ofFriday there were5,548 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C.
• Everyone in B.C. aged 18 and above is eligible to book an appointment to receive their first dose of vaccine through the province's age-based rollout system.

Health officials in B.C. will update COVID-19 numbers today at 3 p.m. PT for the first time since Friday,when it was announced that nearly 2.4 million does of vaccine have been administered in the province.

The province is also now booking vaccine appointments for everyone aged 18 and above through its age-based rollout system.

Officials have said B.C. is on pace to beat its July 1 timeline to get a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to all eligible residents aged 18 and older.

The province said it will provide vaccinations for people as young as 12, possibly before the end of the school year. Health Canadaclearedthe Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in people as young as 12on May 5.

Over the weekend, the province announced four new pop-up vaccine clinics for Surrey on May 17,18, 22 and 23, wherethe first 1,000 people in line will be given a wristband guaranteeing them a vaccine.

The province said personnel at the clinics will also be verifying identification to ensure the doses are going to people who live in Surrey.

As of Friday,2,393,265 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, with 124,880 of those being second doses.

A total of 57,752 people were vaccinated in B.C. on Thursday, the third highest number of the campaign and the fourth straight day of 55,000-plus shots.

• Help CBC British Columbia tell your COVID-19 stories

Public health officialsencouraged anyone who is eligible to register to receive their vaccine, and said anyone who received a vaccine early on in the immunization program, before the online registration was up and running, should now register onlineto ensure their information is recorded and that they will be contacted for a second dose.

Anyone18 and older in British Columbia canregister for their vaccinationnow if they have not already done so. This can be doneonlinethrough the "Get Vaccinated" portal, by calling1-833-838-2323, or in person at anyService B.C. location.

Health officials have said at least 60 to 70 per cent of the total population should be immunized to achieve herd immunity.

Restrictions still in place

Despite the growing number of people who have had a first dose of vaccine, "circuit breaker"-style restrictionson indoor activitieswill continue at least until May 24 at midnight.

British Columbians are also not permitted to travel outside three regional zones,under an order also in effect until the end of Victoria Daylong weekend. Information on whether those restrictions will be lifted is expected in coming weeks.

Health officials in B.C. are encouraging residents to stay the course and follow public health guidelines as COVID-19 hospitalizations remain high, but continue to decrease across the province.

Overall hospitalizations, which typically lag behind spikes and dips in new cases, are down by 13 per cent from last Friday when 445 people were in hospital with the disease.

Read more:

• A43-year-old father from Langley, B.C. who is in hospital recovering from complications following a rare blood clot is warning others to watch for signs of trouble after receiving an AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine.
• Vancouver police say they deployed an RCMP Air One helicopter and a marine unit todisperse people gathered on downtown beaches Saturday night.
• Doctors in B.C. areurging theCollege of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. to takeaction against a colleague spreading COVID-19 misinformation.
• Victoria-based actor Emma Rendellis using her skills to help people now meeting on Zoom and other video conference platforms.
• A Vancouver man decided to beat his pandemic boredom by starting a new art projectwhere he illustrates "COVID cards"to represent the number of days it's been since the pandemic began.
• With some students still learning remotely, and others donning masks and following strict rules inside classrooms, what have we learned from a year of schooling during a pandemic?

What's happening elsewhere in Canada

As of Sunday, Canada hasreported 1,323,681 cases of COVID-19, with an 12per cent decreasein active cases from the week before.

A total of24,907 people have died of the disease.