COVID-19 update: 180 new cases as B.C. crosses 75% first-dose vaccination mark
B.C. health officials announced 180 new cases of COVID-19 and one related death in their final pandemic update of the week Friday.
There are currently 1,880 active cases of the coronavirus in B.C. Of those, 162 people are battling the virus in hospital, including 45 who are in intensive care.
The latest numbers came in a written statement from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix Friday afternoon.
In it, the health officials announced that more than 75 per cent of all adults in the province have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Slightly more than 73 per cent of those ages 12 and over have received at least one dose.
B.C. has now administered a total of 3,893,581 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines. That total includes 497,932 second doses.
Vaccination rates, along with continued declines in new and active cases, are key measures provincial officials are looking at as they decide whether to move forward with reopening plans.
B.C. is scheduled to move to Step 2 of its restart plan, which will allow larger outdoor gatherings, recreational travel within the province and later liquor sales in restaurants, on Tuesday.
“As long as we increase our contacts in a slow and measured way, register and get fully vaccinated, and continue to use our layers of protection, we can confidently move forward with B.C.’s restart plan," Dix and Henry said in their statement.
The pair also announced that an outbreak of COVID-19 has been declared at Rotary Manor Dawson Creek.
In a separate news release, Northern Health indicated that the outbreak is limited to the long-term care home's special care unit-south. Two residents of the facility have tested positive, so far, and one has died, according to the health authority.
Friday's update brought B.C. to 146,176 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. A total of 1,730 people have died from the disease in the province.
Of the 180 infections added to the total, most were found in the Fraser Health region. There were 107 new cases there Friday, while there were just 11 in neighbouring Vancouver Coastal Health.
Elsewhere in B.C., Interior Health saw 39 new cases Friday, Island Health recorded 13 and Northern Health recorded 10.
The rolling seven-day average for new cases in the province was essentially unchanged Friday, at 161.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
BREAKING 15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.