740 COVID cases for Friday

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 740 new cases, for a total of 129,482 cases in British Columbia.

“There are 7,886 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, with 11,727 people under public health monitoring as a result of identified exposure to known cases. A further 119,785 people who tested positive have recovered.

“Of the active cases, 511 individuals are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, 174 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.

“Since we last reported, we have had 163 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 431 new cases in the Fraser Health region, 32 in the Island Health region, 92 in the Interior Health region, 22 in the Northern Health region and no new cases of people who reside outside of Canada.

“There have been four new COVID-19 related deaths, for a total of 1,581 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.

“1,786,722 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in B.C., 90,642 of which are second doses. Now, nearly 40% of eligible people in B.C. have received their first dose.

“The focus of the COVID-19 vaccine program is to protect as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, and to address hot spots and reduce transmission everywhere.

“Everyone in B.C. who is 18 years and older should register on the Get Vaccinated website or by calling 1 833 838-2323. Registration is required only once. Once you are in the system, you will be notified when it’s your turn to book an appointment to receive your first, or your second, dose of the available vaccine.

“This applies to all immunization streams, including the pharmacy stream. If you have received your first dose through a pharmacy, you should still register through the Get Vaccinated site to ensure you are notified when it’s time to book your second dose.

“This weekend, remember to follow the non-essential travel restrictions as we all continue to do our part to keep our loved ones and communities safe.”