COVID-19 update: B.C. adds 1,438 cases, 17 related deaths over 72 hours

Vancouver -

British Columbia recorded 1,438 more cases of COVID-19 and 17 related deaths over the weekend, the Ministry of Health announced Monday.

Another 1,631 people also recovered from COVID-19 over the same 72-hour period, pushing the province's active case count down to 4,282 – the lowest it's been in nearly three months.

Last week, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry shared optimistic modelling data suggesting B.C.'s high vaccination rates combined with current public safety measures are bringing about a slow decline in overall transmission.

The province's seven-day average for COVID-19 cases increased slightly to 488 per day on Monday, but has been trending downward for weeks.

The number of infectious coronavirus patients in hospital also fell to 407 – a drop of 34 from Friday – with 121 patients in critical care.

B.C.'s vaccine holdouts continue to make up most of the province's COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and ICU visits, despite representing less than 20 per cent of the overall population, including children under 12 who are too young for the approved vaccines.

According to the Ministry of Health, the unvaccinated made up 60.3 per cent of infections between Oct. 29 and Nov. 4, and 64.6 per cent of hospitalizations from Oct. 22 to Nov. 4.

Officials have cautioned that the fully vaccinated can still be hospitalized with COVID-19, particularly if their age or a medical condition limited their body's antibody response. The province started offering booster shots to vulnerable groups this fall, and will be offering them to the general population next year.

As of Monday, 90.3 per cent of eligible B.C. residents have received at least one dose of vaccine, and 86 per cent have received two.

The latest COVID-19 deaths were spread across the province's health authority regions: six were recorded in Northern Health, five in Fraser Health, three in Island Health, two in Vancouver Coastal Health and one in Interior Health.

Northern Health, which has lagged behind other areas for vaccinations, has consistently seen the highest rate of transmission per capita in recent weeks. The latest cases were distributed as follows:

• Northern Health – 166 cases, a rate of about 54.9 cases per 100,000 population
• Interior Health – 321 cases, a rate of about 39.1 per 100,000 population
• Fraser Health – 575 cases, a rate of about 29.4 cases per 100,000 population
• Island Health – 221 cases, a rate of about 25.5 per 100,000 population
• Vancouver Coastal Health – 155 cases, a rate of about 12.4 per 100,000 population

Another three health-care facility outbreaks were also declared over the weekend, at Burnaby Hospital, Maplewood House and Revera Parkwood Manor. Seven others have ended ,leaving 33 active outbreaks across the province's health-care system.