COVID-19 update: 801 cases, 6 new deaths announced in B.C.

Dr. E. Kwok administers a COVID-19 vaccine to a recipient at a vaccination clinic run by Vancouver Coastal Health, in Richmond, B.C., Saturday, April 10, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Vancouver -

B.C.'s Ministry of Health announced 801 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, as well as six related deaths.

The latest update, released in a written statement, is a "provisional" update because of delayed data, the health ministry said. The numbers released in that statement will be verified later on.

Two new outbreaks in health-care facilities were announced, leaving 20 active outbreaks in the province.

There are currently 5,931 active cases of the coronavirus in the province. Of those, 199 people are hospitalized, including 116 who are in intensive care.

Of the latest positive infections announced in the provisional update, 267 were announced in Fraser Health and 128 were recorded in Vancouver Coastal Health. Interior Health counted 237 cases and Island Health had 66.

Northern Health saw 103 new positive tests, which health officials said marked an alarming surge for that region. As a result, officials announced new regional measures to curb the spread of disease Thursday. 

Included in those measures are limits to personal and organized gatherings. Indoor personal gatherings must have no more than five guests or one additional family. Outdoor personal gatherings will be limited to 50 guests.

B.C.'s latest COVID-19 update said 84.6 per cent of eligible residents aged 12 and older have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. Just under 77 per cent are fully vaccinated. Since the start of the pandemic, 7,494,657 vaccine doses have been administered in the province.

Most of the cases and hospitalizations in B.C. are among unvaccinated people. The latest data released Thursday revealed 68.8 per cent of the 4,861 infections recorded from Aug. 25 to 31 were found in people who are unvaccinated. Another 10.2 per cent were among those who are partially vaccinated, while fully vaccinated British Columbians accounted for 21 per cent of cases.

In spite of making up roughly two thirds of the total provincial population, fully vaccinated people only made up 16 per cent of the people hospitalized due to COVID-19 between Aug. 18 and 31. Partially vaccinated people accounted for 8.2 per cent of hospitalizations during that time frame and 75.7 per cent were completely unvaccinated.

Since the pandemic began, there have been 167,654 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in B.C. and 1,824 deaths.