COVID-19 update: B.C. adds 652 cases, 2 deaths as new regional restrictions imposed

Vancouver -

British Columbia has recorded another 652 cases of COVID-19 and two related deaths, officials said Tuesday after announcing new regional restrictions for part of the Lower Mainland.

The latest numbers, shared in a written statement from the Ministry of Health, pushed the province's seven-day average for new infections to 746 per day, up from 728 on Monday.

The number of coronavirus hospitalizations increased to 316, up from 303 on Monday, with 141 patients in intensive care.

Officials did not share a breakdown of current patients' vaccination status, but said 82.5 per cent of hospitalizations between Sept. 13 and 26 involved people who were unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated.

"After factoring for age, people not vaccinated are 26.7 times more likely to be hospitalized than those fully vaccinated," the Ministry of Health said in its statement.

Fraser Health recorded the most cases of any health authority, at 219, or about 33 per cent of those announced Tuesday, but Northern Health once again saw the highest number of cases per capita.

That health authority had 41.2 infections per 100,000 residents, compared to 19.6 in Interior Health, 11.5 in Fraser Health, 9.5 in Island Health and 5.9 in Vancouver Coastal Health.

Another 759 people have recovered from COVID-19, according to the ministry, causing the province's active caseload to dip below 6,000, to, 5,992.

Earlier in the day, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced targeted COVID-19 measures for the Fraser East local health area, including limits for personal gatherings and organized events attended by non-vaccinated guests. There are already regional restrictions in place for Interior Health and Northern Health.

Officials also revealed the province will begin offering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to residents of long-term care homes and assisted living facilities.

The Ministry of Health announced two new outbreaks in those settings Tuesday, at Village by the Station and the Willingdon Care Centre.

Another has been declared at Wrinch Memorial Hospital, while the outbreak at Fort St. John Hospital has ended, leaving a total of 22 active outbreaks across B.C.'s health-care system.

During a modelling presentation, Henry also shared data on the province's recent spike in cases among children and youth under the age of 18, who accounted for 1,086 cases during the week ending on Sept. 23. She noted that transmission among school-aged kids has been much higher in areas of lower vaccination rates, including the Northern Health and Interior Health regions.

As of Tuesday, 87.8 per cent of eligible B.C. residents age 12 and older have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 80.6 per cent have received both.