VICTORIA -- British Columbia’s health minister is urging patience after health officials received more than 1.7 million calls to book COVID-19 vaccine appointments just hours after the phone lines opened Monday. The province's vaccine call centres opened at 7 a.m. to book appointments for residents aged 90 and older, and Indigenous people 65 and over. Health Minister Adrian Dix says there are only about 47,000 British Columbians who are 90 and over, and about 35,000 Indigenous people who are 65 and over. Many of those people, he added, have already been vaccinated in care homes or in their communities. “As of about 9:40 a.m. this morning, we had registered about 1.7 million calls,” Dix said Monday. “We appreciate the enthusiasm, but if you’re not eligible to call in today, please don’t call in.”