B.C. COVID-19 update: 185 new cases, 3 deaths, rolling average back over 100
B.C.'s rolling seven-day average for daily COVID-19 infections has risen over 100 for the first time since June.
The province's Ministry of Health announced 185 new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, bringing the rolling average to 115.
The average is now the highest it's been since June 16, when it was 119. The 185 cases added to B.C.'s total Wednesday was the largest single-day increase in infections since June 5, when the province added 217 cases to its total.
Officials also announced three COVID-19-related deaths on Wednesday.
The latest infections bring the total number of cases recorded in B.C. during the pandemic to 149,444. There have been 1,771 deaths.
The majority of new cases reported Wednesday were in the Interior Health region, where 113 new infections were recorded.
Interior Health has been experiencing a spike in cases in recent days, something health officials have attributed to young people who are not yet fully vaccinated, as well as lower overall vaccination rates in the region.
In response to the recent surge in infections, authorities announced Wednesday that they were re-introducing a mask mandate for indoor public spaces in the Central Okanagan region. They also declared a COVID-19 outbreak in that area, which includes the City of Kelowna and several surrounding communities.
Elsewhere in B.C., caseloads have been rising more gradually. Wednesday's update included 35 new cases in Fraser Health, 26 in Vancouver Coastal Health, eight in Island Health and two in Northern Health.
There has also been one new case recorded in a person who normally resides outside Canada, according to health officials.
As of Wednesday, there are 909 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C., 503 of them in Interior Health. Active cases were last over 900 on June 28, when there were 930.
Among those currently battling the virus in B.C., 47 are in hospital. Twenty of them are in intensive care units.
Just under 81 per cent of eligible people ages 12 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in B.C., and 63.2 per cent of people in that age group have now received both doses.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
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.
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to quash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
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.
DEVELOPING Hamas accepts Gaza ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar
Hamas said it has accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar which seeks to halt the seven-month war with Israel in Gaza.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer's disease
For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer’s disease — in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene.
Manitoba Court of Appeal dismisses Peter Nygard's appeal of extradition order
The Manitoba Court of Appeal has dismissed Peter Nygard's application for a judicial review of an order to extradite the former fashion mogul to the United States, where he faces sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
B.C. court date set for 3 accused of murdering Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three suspects accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year are scheduled to appear in court in Surrey on Tuesday.