COVID-19 in B.C.: Seven-day average declines again as province adds 324 cases, 7 deaths

Vancouver -

B.C. has added 324 additional cases of COVID-19 to its total over the last 24 hours, as well as seven related deaths.

The latest numbers brought the rolling seven-day average for new cases down to 418, the lowest it's been since Aug. 11.

As of Wednesday, there are 379 infectious patients in hospital with COVID-19, 109 of them in intensive care units.

The rest of B.C.'s 3,380 active cases of COVID-19 are in people who are recovering at home.

The latest infections were spread throughout the province, with the largest number recorded in Fraser Health, but the highest per-capita total in Northern Health. Here's how the latest cases broke down:

• Fraser Health: 108 new cases, 5.6 per 100,000 population
• Vancouver Coastal Health: 60 new cases, 4.8 per 100,000
• Interior Health: 50 new cases, 6.1 per 100,000
• Northern Health: 73 new cases, 24.3 per 100,000
• Island Health: 33 new cases, 3.8 per 100,000

Two of the newly reported deaths on Wednesday were in Fraser Health, two were in Vancouver Coastal Health, two were in Northern Health and one was in Island Health.

There have been no new outbreaks in health-care facilities, but an outbreak of COVID-19 has been declared at an elementary school in Interior Health, according to a statement from the provincial Ministry of Health.

M.V. Beattie Elementary School in Enderby is the latest school in the region to see an outbreak.

Most of the people contracting COVID-19 in B.C. have not been vaccinated. Despite making up less than 20 per cent of the province's entire population - including those under age 12 who are not yet eligible for vaccination - the unvaccinated accounted for 56 per cent of cases recorded in the province from Nov. 9 to 15.

Similarly, the unvaccinated accounted for 64 per cent of new hospitalizations during the two weeks from Nov. 2 to 15.

As of Wednesday, 90.7 per cent of B.C. residents ages 12 and older had received at least a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 86.9 per cent had received both shots.