BC announces 1,344 new COVID-19 cases, including 234 in IH region

The B.C. government has announced 1,344 new COVID-19 cases, including 234 in the Interior Health region, in the past three days.

The new cases bring the province’s total to 64,828, although the vast majority have already recovered. There are 4,392 active cases in B.C.

The cases were confirmed over the weekend as follows:

• Jan. 22-23 — 527 cases
• Jan. 23-24 — 471 cases
• Jan. 24-25 — 346 cases

Across the province, 328 people are hospitalized with the virus, 68 of whom are in intensive care.

There were another 26 coronavirus deaths reported on Monday, bringing B.C.'s toll to 1,154.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the province has administered 119,850 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The rate of vaccination will drop sharply over the next few weeks and shipments of the vaccine pause at the federal level. The province is not getting any Pfizer shipments this week.

As a result, there will be “very little vaccine” in BC in the next two weeks. Dr. Henry said BC learned this weekend the delays would be worse than originally thought, with expected arrivals of the vaccine in the first week in February being “dramatically reduced” and it is not known when shipments will resume after that.

In response, Dr. Henry says the province will be delaying second doses of the vaccine up until day 42 to allow care home immunizations to complete.

Photo: Castanet Staff