B.C. adds 743 new COVID-19 cases, seven deaths

Health officials in British Columbia are reporting 743 new cases of COVID-19 and seven deaths.

It brings the number of active cases in the province to 5,979 and the death toll to 1,922.

There are currently 319 people in hospital due to the disease — 149 of whom are in intensive care.

Of the new cases, 292 are in Fraser Health, 111 in Vancouver Coastal Health, 177 in Interior Health, 106 in Northern Health and 57 in Island Health.

Four of the seven deaths were in the Fraser Health region, while the others occurred in Interior Health, Northern Health and Island Health.

So far in B.C., 7,771,314 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, amount to 88 per cent of all eligible adults in the province who have received their first dose and 80.9 per cent who have received their second dose.

Health officials say between Sept. 16-22, people who weren’t fully vaccinated accounted for 75 per cent of cases and from Sept. 9-22, 81.9 per cent of hospitalizations.

The province reported 660 active cases in the Island Health region Friday, far more than the 535 cases reported by the health authority on its public dashboard, due to major discrepancies between the two main reporting agencies, Island Health and the BCCDC.

However, Island Health is the only agency to provide daily updates on active cases with a breakdown by region.

Friday’s update shows 41 active cases on the North Island, 176 cases on the Central Island and 318 on the South Island.

Editorial Policies Report an Error