B.C. records 717 COVID-19 cases, highest since May 7

VANCOUVER (NEWS 113) – The fourth wave of COVID-19 in B.C. is taking a sharp upward turn, with the province recording 717 new cases Friday, the highest since May 7.

There are 717 new infections province-wide. By contrast, Ontario, which has three times the population of B.C., recorded a little over 500 new infections on each of the past two days.

More than half of B.C.’s more than half of which were again in the Interior Health region. However, daily case counts have been rising in every health authority.

The Interior recorded 376 new cases, more than double the next-highest figure of 140 recorded in Fraser Health. Vancouver Coastal Health saw 101 new infections, Northern Health confirmed 60, and Island Health recorded 40.

B.C. has 82 people hospitalized with COVID-19, up from 81 on Thursday. There are 39 in the ICU, up from 33 the day before.

Related video: COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for B.C. long-term care workers

There are now 11 outbreaks in long-term or assisted care, with new ones declared at Hawthorne Park, David Lloyd Jones, and Village Mill Creek. All of those facilities are in the Interior Health region.

The province has previously said the surge in cases in the Interior Health region is primarily due to caseloads in the Central Okanagan. That area, which includes Kelowna, is under stricter COVID-19 restrictions compared to the rest of the province.

Interior Health has 2,446 active cases, which is just over half the B.C. total of 4,277.

Two weeks ago, figures from the province showed less than five per cent of new COVID-19 cases were among fully vaccinated people. The province added unvaccinated people are at “significantly greater risk of severe outcomes.”

B.C. did not record any COVID-related deaths in the past day, keeping the overall total at 1,779 since the pandemic began.

Related articles:

• Unvaccinated British Columbians may be denied entry to concerts, sporting events

• B.C. woman whose dad got COVID-19 in long-term care wishes vaccine mandate came sooner

• B.C. mandates COVID-19 vaccinations for long-term care workers

The COVID-19 vaccination rate in B.C. is continuing to inch up, with 82.4 per cent of eligible British Columbians vaccinated with one dose and 72 per cent fully vaccinated.

Last week, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said B.C. is “facing a wave of cases in the unvaccinated.”

On Thursday, the province announced long-term care and assisted living workers across B.C. will be mandated to be immunized against COVID-19, with Health Minister Adrian Dix saying the decision was made due to “disruptive” outbreaks linked to the Delta variant and non-vaccinated people.

Workers and volunteers in those settings will have to be vaccinated by Oct. 12.

Related video: Canada to mandate vaccinations for all air travellers by end of October

Henry also said Thursday British Columbians who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19 shouldn’t assume they will be allowed to attend a Canucks game or a concert.

“Now is the time to get immunized because it’s going to have an impact on your ability to do some of those things that you may want to do,” she said.

“If you choose not to be immunized, then you don’t necessarily have the right to go into a higher risk environment with a bunch of people who have been immunized and are protected. So those are decisions that we need to make personally and as a group.”

On Friday, the federal government announced it will soon require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for all commercial air travellers. The new measures, expected to be in effect by the end of October, will also apply to passengers on interprovincial trains and large marine vessels with overnight accommodations, such as cruise ships.

The Canadian government also announced it will mandate COVID-19 vaccines for all federal public employees, starting early fall. It’s also calling on federally regulated companies to follow suit.

With files from Hana Mae Nassar