The COVID-19 pandemic in B.C. continues to chug along, with new infections persistently popping up across the province.
Another 752 British Columbians were diagnosed with the disease in the past 24 hours – the most new cases in a day since September 29, one week ago.
With the province newly deeming 744 people to have recovered from the disease, because they have gone 10 days since first noticing symptoms, that leaves 5,945 people actively battling COVID-19.
Nine of those who were most seriously infected died overnight from the disease, raising B.C.'s death toll from the pandemic to 1,992.
Serious infections continue, with 350 people in hospitals, and 136 of those in intensive care units (ICUs).
In total, 191,124 British Columbians have contracted the disease since the first case was detected in the province in January, 2020.
Of those, more than 95.6%, or 182,786 people, are deemed by the province to have recovered because they have gone more than 10 days after first feeling symptoms, and are therefore considered to be not infectious.
Unvaccinated people continue to be largely responsible for much of the disease's spread despite the vast majority of British Columbians being fully vaccinated.
New government data show that between September 28 and October 4, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 70.2% of new cases. Between September 21 and October 4, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 77.6% of hospitalizations.
Across B.C., 88.3% of eligible adults older than 12 have had at least one dose of vaccine, with 81.7% of those eligible people having had two doses, according to the B.C. government.
New vaccinations continue to crawl along at a sluggish pace, compared to a few months ago, largely because the vast majority of British Columbians have already received their needed two doses.
Health officials provided 14,203 doses of vaccine to British Columbians in the past day, with 5,920 being to unvaccinated individuals, and 8,283 going to those needing second doses. No data was available for any third doses, which have started to be administered to those who are considered extremely vulnerable, and immunocompromised.
Of the 4,098,733 B.C. residents who have received one dose of vaccine since mid-December, 2020, more than 92.6%, or 3,797,462, are fully vaccinated, with two doses.
The B.C. government estimated in July that the , so Glacier Media's calculation is that 79.6% of B.C.'s total population has had at least one dose of vaccine, and 73.8% of the province's total population has had two doses.
Northern Health remains the province's hot spot for new and active infections.
Glacier Media's math broke down the 1,986 new infections by health region, for each 10,000 residents (with total new cases in brackets):
• 1.7 in Fraser Health (297);
• 0.7 in Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Coastal Health (85);
• 2.2 in Interior Health (164);
• 4.3 in Northern Health (130); and
• 0.9 in Island Health (76).
There were no known new infections in people who normally do not reside in B.C.
The result by health region, for the 5,945 people fighting active infections, for each 10,000 residents (with total new cases in brackets) is:
• 13.1 in Fraser Health (2,349);
• 6.6 in Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Coastal Health (824);
• 15.4 in Interior Health (1,142);
• 27.6 in Northern Health (829); and
• 8.7 in Island Health (743).
There are 58 active infections in the province in people who normally reside outside B.C.
One new health-care facility outbreak is at Mission Memorial Hospital, in MIssion. Outbreaks at The Hamlets at Westsyde, in Kamloops, and Louis Brier Home and Hospital, in Vancouver, have been declared over. That leaves B.C. with 18 active outbreaks at health-care facilities. •
