572 COVID cases for Wednesday

Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, and Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, have issued the following joint statement regarding updates on the COVID-19 response in British Columbia:

“Today, we are reporting 572 new cases, for a total of 132,925 cases in British Columbia.

“There are 6,877 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and a further 124,252 people who tested positive have recovered. Due to incomplete data, the number of people under public health monitoring and self-isolation requirements has not been included in today’s report.

“Of the active cases, 481 individuals are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, 161 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation.

“Since we last reported, we have had 118 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 362 new cases in the Fraser Health region, 22 in the Island Health region, 57 in the Interior Health region, 13 in the Northern Health region and no new cases of people who reside outside of Canada.

“There have been no new COVID-19 related deaths, for a total of 1,594 deaths in British Columbia. Our condolences are with the family, friends and caregivers of the people who have died as a result of COVID-19. Of note, the number of people who have died has been adjusted from yesterday’s report due to a data correction.

“The outbreaks at Craigdarroch Care Home and Acropolis Manor are now over.

“1,943,230 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in B.C., 93,656 of which are second doses.

“We have three highly effective and safe vaccines available in our province, and the more people who receive their vaccine, the faster we will get to the point where COVID-19 is no longer disrupting our daily lives.

“As more people become eligible and more vaccines are approved, we will continue to update our provincewide program, including integrating people 12 to 17 years old, now that the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine has been approved for use in this age group.

“With additional supply now available, we’re accelerating our delivery and we also need you to do your part. We all need to register to reserve our spot and book our vaccine as soon as we are eligible.

“Spread the word and share your vaccine-day photos to show your friends and family that you have helped to protect them – your sons and daughters, parents and grandparents.

“Getting vaccinated when it is our turn, using our layers of protection, staying small and local, and following all of the public health measures is what will see us through this storm.”