B.C.’s daily COVID-19 case count rises to 185, three deaths recorded

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – B.C.’s upward trend of daily COVID-19 cases continues, with 185 new infections in the past 24 hours. More than half of those cases are in the Interior.

The Interior Health Authority recorded 113 new infections on Wednesday, with a total of 503 active cases in that region. Health officials have declared a COVID-19 outbreak in the Central Okanagan, which includes Kelowna, due to the surge of cases, and are urging unvaccinated British Columbians not to travel there.

Vancouver Coastal Health recorded 26 new cases Wednesday, while Fraser Health recorded 35. Another eight infections were reported in Island Health and two in Northern Health. An additional case was recorded in a person who lives outside of Canada.

There have been three deaths due to COVID-19 in the past day, all of which were in Vancouver Coastal Health, for a total of 1,771 since the pandemic began.

The number of people hospitalized with the illness has remained relatively steady over the past week, with 47 reported on Wednesday. Of those patients, 20 are in the ICU, down from 22 on Tuesday.

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Province-wide, 63.2 per cent of eligible British Columbians have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, while 80.9 per cent have had at least one dose.

On Tuesday, the province announced the interval between doses for British Columbians was shortened from eight weeks to seven. However, in an effort to get people in the Interior fully vaccinated faster, health officials announced Wednesday the duration is being cut much more dramatically there, down to four weeks between doses.

As of midnight in the Central Okanagan, masks will once again be mandatory in public indoor spaces and recommended outdoors when physical distancing is not possible. Bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and gyms are allowed to stay open with safety protocols, which include no movement between tables.

There are two active outbreaks in long-term care: One at Holyrood Manor and another at Nelson Jubilee Manor.