VANCOUVER -- Health officials say another 569 cases of the novel coronavirus have been recorded in British Columbia since their previous update.

The latest number brings the total number of confirmed infections to 86,219 since the start of the pandemic.

Three of the latest cases are epidemiologically linked, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said at a news conference Thursday.

The doctor gave an update on the latest COVID-19 data before launching into a presentation on modelling in the province. Read more on that here. 

Henry said 4,912 cases are considered active in the province, while another 8,900 people are under active monitoring by public health teams.

Of the active cases, 244 people are in hospital including 68 in intensive care.

She said 79,829 people are considered to have recovered, or about 92.6 per cent of total known cases in B.C.

Three more people have died, Henry said on the one-year anniversary of the date the World Health Organization declared the pandemic.

The province's death toll stood at 1,397 on Thursday afternoon.

"We remember, of course, the families that are mourning the loss of their loved ones during this difficult time," the doctor said.

Sharing some good news, Henry said an outbreak at the Westsyde Care Residence in Kamloops has been declared over. This brings the total number of outbreaks in long-term care, assisted and independent living down to nine in B.C.

There are another eight outbreaks in acute care, she said.

Health Minister Adrian Dix, who joined Henry at the news conference Thursday, said 279,782 British Columbians have received their first dose of vaccine – "that's 6.51 per cent of us who've received the shot."

A total of 366,791 doses have been given in the province, 87,009 of which are second doses.

The vaccines aren't 100 per cent effective but they're some of the most effective that have ever been produced, according to the minister.

Henry and Dix said there have been 11 new cases of variants of concern in the province, bringing the total to 638 known cases.

The vast majority (588) are of the B.1.1.7 variant associated with the U.K., while 36 are B.1.351 (South Africa) and 14 are P.1 (Brazil).

Of those cases, 89 are active.