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Wednesday, August 25, 2021

COVID-19: Vaccine demand spikes following B.C.'s new passport requirement - Vancouver Sun

New vaccine registrations and bookings so far this week nearly doubled compared to last week.

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Kiera Bonifacio and Long Ly arrived at the Italian Cultural Centre on Wednesday so Ly could get his first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.

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Ly had been putting it off, even though people at his work had been pushing him to get vaccinated. The couple’s two small children raced around the concrete patio outside the makeshift drop-in clinic and Ly chased them down whenever one strayed too far.

“I’ve already had both my shots, but he still needs to get his,” said Bonifacio, nodding her head toward Ly.

She said the recent announcement by authorities to limit access to non-essential services like restaurants, movie theatres and sports events to vaccinated people next month pushed him to get his first shot.

“If we want to do things as a family, he has to be vaccinated, right?” Bonifacio said.

Kiera Bonifacio and Long Ly with their kids Vough, 3, and Van, 1, at the Italian Cultural Centre in Vancouver.
Kiera Bonifacio and Long Ly with their kids Vough, 3, and Van, 1, at the Italian Cultural Centre in Vancouver. Photo by Francis Georgian /PNG

According to health authorities, vaccine bookings more than doubled on Monday and Tuesday of this week after the announcement of B.C.’s vaccine card, to nearly 17,000. That’s up from just over 8,000 during the same two-day period last week.

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Also on Wednesday, B.C. reported 698 new cases of COVID-19 as daily numbers continue to creep up. Interior Health continued to have the highest number, with 273 new cases. Fraser Health had 149 new cases, while Vancouver Coastal Health has 125.

Others who spoke with Postmedia at the vaccination clinic at East Vancouver’s Italian Cultural Centre on Wednesday acknowledged that they only came to get vaccinated because of the recent announcement barring unvaccinated people from non-essential services. None wanted to be identified, however.

Many of the people who showed up were coming for their second shot, however.

“I was going to get it regardless, whether it was announced or not,” said Patrick McLaren, who was coming for his second dose.

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McLaren said he was “pretty comfortable” with the idea of vaccine passports but wasn’t really in favour of them.

“Nobody really wants this,” he said, “but if that’s what the government is going to do, then what are we going to do?”

Aseem Sunda, who arrived for his first shot on Wednesday, also felt that vaccine passports weren’t necessary, saying B.C. already had very high vaccination rates.

Sunda said he finished exams at Langara that morning and Wednesday was the first time he felt able to take time to get vaccinated.

On Aug. 23, the province announced a new order from the provincial health officer that will require proof of vaccination for people attending certain social and recreational events and settings in B.C. People who receive their first dose by Sept. 13 will be able to continue to attend these events, but after Oct. 24, they will need to be double vaccinated.

ngriffiths@postmedia.com
twitter.com/njgriffiths


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