Newly detected COVID-19 infections, and hospitalizations in B.C. continue to be much lower than a month ago, but people in the province are still dying from the disease.
Four more COVID-19-related deaths in B.C. overnight raise the province's death toll from the condition to 1,738.
Serious cases rose slightly overnight, with 41 individuals now in hospital intensive care units, up two from yesterday. The number of COVID-19 patients in all hospital wards, however, declined by five overnight, to 134 – the lowest number since November 9.
The vast majority of the 1,454 people known to be battling active COVID-19 infections in B.C. have been told to self-isolate. The number of those actively battling infections fell today in the 38th consecutive provincial data update.
For the 11th consecutive day, health officials have detected fewer than 200 new COVID-19 cases. There were 113 new cases detected in the past day, for a total of 146,674 people since the first case was identified in B.C. in late January, 2020.
More than 97.8%, or 143,449 people are deemed by the province to have recovered because they are not thought to be infectious.
By health region, the 113 infections discovered in the past day includes:
• 27 in Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Coastal Health (23.9%);
• 51 in Fraser Health (45.1%);
• four in Island Health (3.5%);
• 31 in Interior Health (27.4%); and
• no in Northern Health (0%).
Provincial health officer Bonnie Henry, and Health Minister Adrian Dix, warned in a joint statement that today's case-count totals "are provisional and may be adjusted once verified."
It was six months ago today, that the province administered its first dose of vaccine. Since December 16, officials have jabbed arms 4,165,142 times, with 3,454,295 of those being first doses and 710,847 being needed second doses.
Provincial officials and pharmacists provided a combined total of 62,237 doses of vaccine in the past day, with 8,881 of those going to unvaccinated people, with the remaining 53,356 being needed second doses. While this is a substantial number of second doses, the record number of such doses in a day was on June 11, when officials provided 54,370 second doses.
"Getting fully immunized is the best way for us to put the COVID-19 pandemic behind us," Dix and Henry said. "It is how we protect our family and friends, the people at our favourite store or local theatre, as well as the communities we want to visit this summer."
The outbreak at Spring Valley Care Centre in Kelowna has been declared over.
That leaves four active outbreaks at seniors' homes. They are:
• Cherington Place in Surrey;
• Glenwood Seniors' Community in Agassiz;
• Heritage Manor in Fort St. John; and
• Rotary Manor in Dawson Creek.
All outbreaks at B.C. hospitals have been declared over.
