COVID-19 in B.C.: 867 more infections, last update before weekend reveals

Vancouver -

In its last COVID-19 update before the weekend, B.C.'s health ministry announced 867 more people tested positive for the disease locally.

In a written statement released Friday afternoon, the ministry also announced three more people died from the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, bringing the local death toll since the start of the pandemic to 1,807. All three deaths were in the Interior Health region.

The latest update brings B.C.'s seven-day rolling average for new cases to 663. The last time B.C. recorded more than 867 cases in a day was on April 24, when 881 people tested positive. Four of the latest cases were epidemiologically linked, the health ministry said.

Of the latest cases, more than a third (350) were recorded in Interior Health. Another 228 were counted in Fraser Health and 165 in Vancouver Coastal Health. Northern Health had 61 new cases in the last 24 ours while Island Health saw 63.

Of the 5,657 active cases, 159 people are recovering in hospital. Eighty-four of those people are in intensive care, which are both increase from Thursday.

No new outbreaks at health-care facilities were announced Friday, leaving the province managing 14 active ones.

Earlier this week, health officials announced additional measures to curb the disease's spread. As of Wednesday, a province-wide mask mandate was reinstated for most indoor public spaces for anyone aged 12 and older.

As well, health officials announced plans to require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for admission to certain non-essential events and businesses.

Beginning on Sept. 13, B.C. residents will be required to show proof that they have received at least a first dose of vaccine to dine at restaurants, attend ticketed sporting events, go to the movies or participate in a variety of other discretionary activities.

By Oct. 24, residents will be required to show proof that they are fully vaccinated before entering such venues and events.

According to the Ministry of Health, just over 71 per cent of cases recorded from Aug. 19 to Aug. 25 were among unvaccinated people, a rate of 199 infections per 100,000 unvaccinated individuals.

In that same time period, fully vaccinated people made up 18 per cent of cases and saw 24.9 cases per 100,000.

Over a two-week period, from Aug. 12 to 25, nearly 86 per cent of people hospitalized for COVID-19 were either completely unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.

However, there are more fully vaccinated people in B.C. than unvaccinated people. As of Friday, 83.9 per cent of eligible people aged 12 and older received one vaccine dose and 75.8 per cent were fully vaccinated.

Since December, 7,408,715 vaccine doses have been administered in B.C.