COVID-19 update: B.C. adds 555 infections, 11 deaths as case average increases again

Vancouver -

British Columbia's seven-day average for COVID-19 cases crept upward once again after the government announced 555 new infections and 11 related deaths on Wednesday.

The latest numbers, released in a written statement from the Ministry of Health, pushed the seven-day average to 520 per day, up from 475 on the weekend.

The average began trending downward towards the end of October, when it peaked at 641 cases per day.

B.C.'s active case count inched up slightly to 4,321 on Tuesday, while the number of infectious COVID-19 patients in hospital fell to 404 – a drop of 22 from Monday.

The number of patients in critical care, who are included in the hospitalization total, also fell to 117 from 124.

Five of the new fatalities were recorded in the Fraser Health region, three were in Island Health, two were in Vancouver Coastal Health and one was in Interior Health.

No deaths were recorded in Northern Health, which has consistently recorded the highest number of cases per capita in recent weeks. The province's latest cases were distributed as follows:

• Northern Health – 106 cases, a rate of about 35 cases per 100,000 population
• Interior Health – 114 cases, a rate of about 13.9 cases per 100,000 population
• Island Health – 88 cases, a rate of about 10.1 cases per 100,000 population
• Fraser Health – 197 cases, a rate of about 10 cases per 100,000 population
• Vancouver Coastal Health – 50 cases, a rate of about four cases per 100,000 population

The unvaccinated continue to make up the majority of cases, hospitalizations and ICU admissions, despite representing less than 20 per cent of the provincial population, including those too young to receive the COVID-19 vaccines.

People without a single dose of vaccine accounted for 57.9 per cent of cases recorded from Nov. 2-8 and 65 per cent of hospitalizations from Oct. 26-Nov. 8, according to the Ministry of Health.

So far, 90.5 per cent of eligible B.C. residents age 12 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine, and 86.4 per cent have received two.

Earlier this week, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry cautioned that transmission could surge again this fall and winter if the public stops following the same preventative measures that have worked throughout the pandemic, such as washing their hands and wearing masks in indoor public spaces.

She urged residents to keep holiday celebrations small this year as well.

Despite the province's high vaccination rate, officials have said antibody protection is waning in some seniors and vulnerable groups whose bodies are less capable of warding off serious illness. The government has also been offering those groups booster shots to help them through the respiratory illness season.

The Ministry of Health also announced three health-care outbreaks on Wednesday, at the George Derby Centre, Dufferin Care Centre and Royal Inland Hospital. There are now 29 active outbreaks across B.C.'s health-care system.