7 deaths in 24 hours attributed to COVID-19 in B.C.: latest update
Seven more people have died of COVID-19 in the 24-hour period since the B.C. health ministry's previous update, officials said Wednesday.
These deaths were in the province's Vancouver Coastal, Interior and Island health authorities, the ministry said in a statement. The total death toll of the pandemic in B.C. now stands at 1,873.
During the same period, 661 new cases of the disease were confirmed, but with more than 1,000 recoveries, the active total dropped to just under 5,800 cases.
According to the ministry, more than three-quarters of cases recorded in the last week in B.C. were in people who were not vaccinated (68.4 per cent) or partially vaccinated (8.1 per cent). This data is from cases confirmed between Sept. 7 and 13.
Looking at the first two weeks of the month, the ministry said 316 of the 387 people in hospital with the disease were unvaccinated. Another 22, or 5.7 per cent, were partially vaccinated – meaning having one dose, or having just recently received their second – while the remaining 12.7 per cent had both doses, and enough time had passed for them to be considered fully vaccinated.
Provincial data shared Wednesday included that 86.1 per cent of all eligible British Columbians have now had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 78.6 per cent have had both shots.
B.C. is now two days into a mandate that vaccine cards – scannable QR codes linked to a person's vaccination record – must be checked to gain entry to many services and businesses deemed non-essential.
This proof of vaccination is required at restaurants, gyms, bars and other venues, but is not needed to get groceries, vote or access government services.
B.C. has seen a total of 176,480 known cases since the start of the pandemic. Of those, 95.4 per cent of people who tested positive have recovered.
Looking at the latest cases confirmed in B.C., which includes two epidemiologically-linked cases not confirmed through lab results, more than one-third were in the province's most population-dense region of Fraser Health. In that area, 1,744 cases are currently considered active, of the 5,791 province-wide.
Another 196 people were confirmed to have COVID-19 in the Interior Health region, 99 in Vancouver Coastal Health, 66 in Island Health and 62 in Northern Health.
One person who lives outside of Canada is also among the 661 new cases.
With the latest data, B.C.'s rolling seven-day case average has decreased from 724 on Tuesday. It now stands at 702.
The easily transmissible Delta variant has been blamed for the fourth wave through B.C., and the reason why some previously-dropped mandates have been put back in place.
Face masks were, for a time, not required in indoor public spaces, but that rule was put back in place in August when cases started to climb again.
Notable during this latest wave is that the rate of hospitalized patients requiring intensive care is much higher.
Currently there are 288 people being treated in B.C. hospitals for the disease, about half of whom (137) are in ICUs.
And earlier in the pandemic there was a bit of a reprieve when it came to outbreaks, but the province is now dealing with 24, most of which are in long-term care.
Sixteen long-term care facilities are in outbreak protocol, along with three acute care facilities and five assisted or independent living centres.
In an effort to protect some of B.C.'s most vulnerable residents, the province announced that all health-care employees will have to be vaccinated by Oct. 26.
Workers in long-term care face unpaid leave, as of Monday, if they don't have at least one dose of vaccine, and must have both shots by Oct. 12.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.