B.C. COVID-19 update: 9 deaths, more than 300 new cases announced
Nine more people have died from COVID-19 complications in B.C. over the last 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health.
The nine deaths came alongside 322 new confirmed cases announced in a written statement on Wednesday.
The latest numbers bring B.C. to 3,015 active cases of the coronavirus, the lowest total the province has seen since Aug. 8.
The rolling seven-day average for new cases dropped slightly, from 381 to 380 per day.
There are 318 infectious coronavirus patients in B.C. hospitals, and 109 of them are in intensive care, according to the ministry.
There have now been 216,334 confirmed COVID-19 infections in B.C. since the pandemic began, and 2,313 related deaths.
Five of the nine deaths confirmed Wednesday were in Northern Health, three were in Vancouver Coastal Health and one was in Interior Health.
Fraser Health added the largest share of Wednesday's cases, with 100 new infections confirmed in the region. On a per-capita basis, however, the Interior and Northern health authorities had more COVID-19 transmission over the last 24 hours.
- Interior Health added 86 new cases, for a rate of 10.5 per 100,000 residents
- Vancouver Coastal Health added 50 cases, or 4 per 100,000
- Northern Health added 44 cases, or 14.7 per 100,000
- Island Health added 42 cases, or 4.9 per 100,000
Fraser Health's per-capita rate was 5.2 per 100,000.
Despite making up a small portion of B.C.'s overall population, unvaccinated people continue to make up the majority of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the province.
They accounted for 54 per cent of the 2,663 new infections B.C. recorded between Nov. 16 and 22, and 61.5 per cent of the 299 new hospitalizations between Nov. 9 and 22.
Many of the unvaccinated people testing positive for COVID-19 are children under the age of 12, who were ineligible for COVID-19 vaccines in Canada until earlier this month.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Tuesday that children under age 12 make up approximately 20 per cent of B.C.'s cases, despite representing about 10 per cent of the population.
About 91,000 of the 360,000 children ages five to 11 in B.C. had been registered to get a pediatric COVID-19 vaccine as of Tuesday, when the province unveiled its plans for rolling out vaccines to that age group.
Among B.C. residents ages 12 and older, 91 per cent had received at least a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Wednesday, and 87.4 per cent had received two doses.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.