COVID-19 update: B.C. adds 605 cases, 4 deaths
B.C. added 605 new cases of COVID-19 to its total on Wednesday, along with four new deaths.
The latest numbers bring the province to 195,186 confirmed cases and 2,033 deaths since the pandemic began.
There are now 5,172 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C., including 374 people who are hospitalized, 153 of them in intensive care and still infectious.
After a long weekend that saw one of the lowest single-day totals for new coronavirus infections in B.C. in two months, the province's seven-day rolling average for new cases has declined to 580, the lowest it's been since Aug. 21.
Infection and hospitalization rates remain high, however, and on Tuesday health officials pleaded with unvaccinated residents - particularly in Northern Health - to get immunized.
As of Wednesday, 88.9 per cent of people 12 and older in B.C. had received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 82.7 per cent had received both shots.
Though they make up a small proportion of the province's total population, unvaccinated people continue to make up the majority of new infections.
From Oct. 5 through 11, unvaccinated people accounted for 61.1 per cent of the 4,206 new cases of COVID-19 in B.C.
Similarly, those who are unvaccinated accounted for 66.2 per cent of the 346 new hospitalizations in the province between Sept. 28 and Oct. 11.
Most of the new cases reported Wednesday were in the Fraser Health region, which saw 245 new infections.
Elsewhere, there were 119 new cases in Interior Health, 92 in Island Health, 82 in Vancouver Coastal Health, and 67 in Northern Health.
On a per-capita basis, however, Northern Health continues to have the highest infection rate. The region added 22.3 new cases per 100,000 residents in Wednesday's update, compared to 14.6 in Interior Health, 12.7 in Fraser Health, 10.7 in Island Health and 6.6 in Vancouver Coastal Health.
Three of the deaths reported Wednesday were in Northern Health, while the fourth was in Island Health.
Wednesday's update also saw a COVID-19 outbreak declared at Tofino General Hospital.
The outbreak at The Residence in Mission was declared over, leaving the province with a total of 19 active outbreaks, including 16 in long-term care and assisted-living facilities.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.