COVID-19 update: B.C. adds 204 cases in highest single-day increase since June 5
The surge in COVID-19 cases in B.C.'s Interior that has prompted new restrictions for Kelowna and surrounding communities continued Thursday, with health officials announcing 204 new infections in the province, 107 of them in the Interior Health region.
Other regions of B.C. recorded fewer new cases Thursday, with 58 in Fraser Health, 23 in Vancouver Coastal Health, 14 in Island Health and two in Northern Health.
The 204 cases added Thursday represent the largest single-day jump since June 5, when B.C. added 217 new infections to its total.
The latest numbers bring the province's rolling seven-day average for new cases to 131, the highest it's been since June 13.
There are currently 1,055 active cases of the COVID-19 in B.C., including 51 people who are hospitalized, 20 of them in intensive care.
The last time B.C.'s active caseload topped 1,000 was more than a month ago, on June 26.
There were no new deaths related to COVID-19 over the last 24 hours.
Since the pandemic began, B.C. has seen 149,648 cases of the disease and 1,771 deaths, overall.
Though case counts have been rising across the province in recent days, Interior Health has seen the bulk of new infections. As of Thursday, 600 of the province's active cases were located in the Interior.
As a result of the surge, authorities announced Wednesday that they were re-introducing a mask mandate for indoor public spaces in the Central Okanagan region. They also declared a COVID-19 outbreak in that area, which includes the City of Kelowna and several surrounding communities.
The local business community is pushing back against the province's handling of the new rules, saying that, although they support efforts to reduce caseloads, they were not given enough warning that new restrictions were coming.
Health officials have blamed the rising caseloads in the Interior on lower rates of immunization there, saying most of the people testing positive in the Kelowna area are young people who have had only a first dose of vaccine or are totally unvaccinated.
Province-wide, B.C. has now administered first shots of COVID-19 vaccines to 81 per cent of people ages 12 and older, and 64.1 per cent of that age group has now had a second shot, as well.
B.C. does not report cases by vaccination status on a daily basis, but officials announced earlier this week that fewer than five per cent of people who tested positive for COVID-19 in the province between June 15 and July 15 had received both doses of vaccine.
The vast majority - 78 per cent - of infections during that period were among people who had not received either a first or a second dose.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.