Health officials announce 580 new cases of COVID19 on Thursday along with 9 additional deaths.
The number of currently active cases climbed to 5,348.
Of the new cases, 246 were in the Fraser Health region, 104 were in the Interior Health region, 129 were in the Northern Health region and 48 were in the Island Health region.
Just 53 cases were in Vancouver Coastal Health. There were 378 active cases in hospital, an overnight increase of four and a new high for the fourth wave. Of them, 153 people in critical or intensive care.
Since the start of the pandemic, B.C. has reported 195,766 cases and 2,042 deaths.
British Columbia's provincial health officer has announced new restrictions for the northern health region in an attempt to stop the rapid spread of COVID-19 through those who are unvaccinated.
Personal gatherings indoors and outdoors are restricted to only those who are vaccinated and in-person worship services are cancelled.
Dr. Bonnie Henry announced the further restrictions will continue until Nov. 19.
Henry says the Delta variant spreads faster and causes more severe illness, which is being seen in the north where hospitals are filling with young people who are struggling to breathe.
She says one person in their 20s died in the northern health region today.
Join Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer, and Dr. Jong Kim, chief medical officer, Northern Health, for an update on COVID-19 in northern BC. https://t.co/NaH1QTGXYT
— BC Government News (@BCGovNews) October 14, 2021
Health Minister Adrian Dix says it's frustrating for people in health care to see people in hospital with severe illness that could be prevented through vaccination.
He says 45 of the 58 critically ill people recently flown to hospitals in southern B.C. for treatment had COVID-19. Only one of those being treated for COVID-19 was fully vaccinated.
