VANCOUVER -- Health officials in B.C. announced 1,001 more cases of COVID-19 Friday in their final pandemic update of the week.
The new infections bring B.C.'s active caseload to 8,842, a slight increase from Thursday's total, but down from a high of 10,081 on April 16.
There were also four deaths from the disease over the last 24 hours, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said in their written statement.
The latest update brings B.C. to a total of 123,758 cases since the pandemic began. There have been 1,554 related deaths in that time.
"Our condolences are with the family, friends and caregivers of the people who have died as a result of COVID-19," Henry and Dix said in their statement.
There are currently 486 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in B.C., down from a record 502 on Thursday. Of those in hospital, 160 are in intensive care.
Friday's update comes on the day B.C.'s solicitor general announced local travel restrictions in an effort to curb the spread of the disease even more.
The new rules divide the province into three broad regions and prohibit non-essential travel between them. Officials are also advising people not to travel far within their regions.
“The message remains the same: by staying in our local communities, we will prevent the spread of this virus and move forward together to a time when it is behind us," Dix and Henry said.
The health officials also announced two new outbreaks of the coronavirus on Friday, one at Craigdarroch Care Centre in Victoria and the other at Sandalwood Retirement Resort in Kelowna.
A total of 1,542,066 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have now been administered in B.C. That total includes 88,663 second doses.
The first doses B.C. has administered so far are enough to immunize approximately 28 per cent of the province's total population.
“Now is the time to stay close to home and to get vaccinated as soon as you are eligible, to keep yourself, your family and your community safe," Henry and Dix said.
