VANCOUVER -- British Columbia's death toll has surpassed 1,200 since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, health officials confirmed.
In a news conference Monday afternoon, the province's top doctor said 21 deaths over the weekend were attributed to the disease, bringing the total to 1,210.
Dr. Bonnie Henry said another 1,158 cases of the novel coronavirus were recorded since Friday.
The period with the highest daily case total was between Saturday and Sunday, when 473 were confirmed. There were another 408 between Friday and Saturday, and just 277 between Sunday and Monday.
Of the weekend cases, four were epidemiologically linked.
These new numbers bring B.C.'s total of confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic to 67,937.
Of those people, 61,117 – or just under 90 per cent – are considered to have fully recovered.
Another 4,134 people are considered to be active cases, which is the lowest this number has been since Nov. 7.
Active cases peaked in B.C. on Dec. 17, when the number reached 10,009.
B.C.'s rolling seven-day average is now at 444, which is also the lowest it's been since Nov. 7.
Dr. Henry said 289 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, 79 of whom are being treated in intensive care units across B.C.
Additionally, there's been one new health-care outbreak in B.C., this time at the Westsyde Care Residences group home in Kamloops.
Fortunately, an outbreak at one of the Burnaby Hospital sites is now considered over, as is an outbreak at Brookside Lodge, a long-term care home in Surrey.
This leaves B.C. dealing with two dozen active outbreaks in long-term care and assisted living, and eight in acute-care residences.
The updates come three days after the doctor revealed the province was expecting a decreased number of Moderna vaccines this week. She and Health Minister Adrian Dix had already announced a delay in the rollout of the Pfizer vaccine.
"We hope and we've been told that we'll be increasing our available supply as the month progresses," Henry said.
"While fewer people are receiving doses this week, we are continuing with our preparations to have widespread immunizations underway on a bigger scale than we've ever done before across the province in a few short weeks."
As of Monday, 138,892 people have been given at least one dose of the vaccine in B.C., and 4,491 have received the second dose.
Late last week, Henry announced every resident and staff member in all of B.C.'s long-term care homes had been offered a vaccine.
She did not specify how many seniors and workers accepted the offer.
Also on Friday, a COVID-19 vaccine clinic opened its doors to provide immunizations to some of Vancouver's most vulnerable. Those who are homeless or living in a shelter, SRO or supportive housing building were invited to get their shots.
And last week marked the one-year anniversary of B.C.'s first known case of the disease.
This presumptive positive case was in a man who had recently returned to the province from Wuhan, China. His case was confirmed later by a second lab test.
