3rd wave of COVID-19 in B.C.? Rolling average the highest it's been since December

Has B.C. entered its third wave of COVID-19? Dr. Bonnie Henry is stopping short of declaring it, but she's alluded the province is in or approaching a third wave.

VANCOUVER — British Columbia's top doctor alluded to a third wave of the novel coronavirus when discussing a recent rise in case numbers in the province.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer, addressed the "waves" of COVID-19 during a news conference Monday.

The data revealed at that news conference showed the province's seven-day rolling average has climbed to 600 daily cases, the highest that number has been since Dec. 20.

"We ask about whether we're in the third wave – it really is," she said.

"We've come down from the peak of our second wave, but we have levelled out for many weeks now, and it’s a slow and steady increase."

B.C. added nearly 1,800 more cases Monday in an update that covered a three-day period. More than 160 of those cases are variants of concern.

These variants transmit more easily, making it difficult to control the spread, the doctor said.

And among the increasing cases, health officials are seeing more young people getting COVID-19, some of whom end up in intensive care or even die.

Henry also confirmed 16 deaths had been attributed to the disease over that period, though one of the deaths had happened earlier and was recently reclassified, she said.

In Monday's update, the doctor said there were 5,290 cases considered active in B.C., 237 of which are variant cases.

Another 9,333 people are under active public health monitoring following exposure to the disease.

Indoor gatherings continue to be high-risk, she said, urging residents of B.C. to follow public health orders allowing gatherings outdoors only, of a maximum of 10 people.

And, she said, while the number of people who've been vaccinated continues to grow, "we do not yet have enough protection to keep all of us safe."

"We have seen an uptick in new cases and clusters of COVID-19 in the Lower Mainland. This is a concern for all of us because, as we have seen before, this increase can quickly escalate to other regions of our province," Henry said.