COVID-positive hospitalizations increased by 1.3% in B.C.

Photo: BC gov. Flickr

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry

COVID hospitalizations increased by a little more than one per cent Friday.

The province is reporting 2,137 new COVID-19 cases in B.C. in the past 24 hours, bringing the province's active cases to 30,515. Of these cases, 990 people are now hospitalized, an increase of 13 since Thursday. Those in ICU have remained steady, at 141.

Active cases in the province rose by 959 since Thursday.

Of Friday's new cases, 569 came from the Interior. There are now 7,969 active cases in the region, and 121 people in the Interior hospitalized with COVID-19. Of these, 22 are being treated in critical care.

Another nine new COVID deaths have been reported throughout B.C. in the past 24 hours, including five in Fraser Health, three in Vancouver Coastal Health and one in Northern Health. To date, 2,597 British Columbians have died after contracting COVID-19.

The new/active cases include:

• 740 new cases in Fraser Health — Total active cases: 12,928
• 394 new cases in Vancouver Coastal Health — Total active cases: 6,788
• 569 new cases in Interior Health — Total active cases: 7,969
• 170 new cases in Northern Health — Total active cases: 1,170
• 264 new cases in Island Health — Total active cases: 1,654

There have been seven new healthcare facility outbreaks in B.C., including at Kelowna's Cottonwoods Care Centre. There are now 58 ongoing outbreaks at healthcare facilities across the province.

In the past 24 hours, 44,552 doses of the vaccine were administered in B.C. As of Thursday, 89.8% of eligible people five and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 83.8% have received their second dose. To date, 43.9% of all eligible people 12 and older have received their third booster dose.

For the second day in a row, the province has not released the data on hospitalizations and deaths by vaccine status.

Photo: Castanet News