B.C. COVID-19 update: 185 new cases, 3 deaths, rolling average back over 100
B.C.'s rolling seven-day average for daily COVID-19 infections has risen over 100 for the first time since June.
The province's Ministry of Health announced 185 new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, bringing the rolling average to 115.
The average is now the highest it's been since June 16, when it was 119. The 185 cases added to B.C.'s total Wednesday was the largest single-day increase in infections since June 5, when the province added 217 cases to its total.
Officials also announced three COVID-19-related deaths on Wednesday.
The latest infections bring the total number of cases recorded in B.C. during the pandemic to 149,444. There have been 1,771 deaths.
The majority of new cases reported Wednesday were in the Interior Health region, where 113 new infections were recorded.
Interior Health has been experiencing a spike in cases in recent days, something health officials have attributed to young people who are not yet fully vaccinated, as well as lower overall vaccination rates in the region.
In response to the recent surge in infections, 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.
Elsewhere in B.C., caseloads have been rising more gradually. Wednesday's update included 35 new cases in Fraser Health, 26 in Vancouver Coastal Health, eight in Island Health and two in Northern Health.
There has also been one new case recorded in a person who normally resides outside Canada, according to health officials.
As of Wednesday, there are 909 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C., 503 of them in Interior Health. Active cases were last over 900 on June 28, when there were 930.
Among those currently battling the virus in B.C., 47 are in hospital. Twenty of them are in intensive care units.
Just under 81 per cent of eligible people ages 12 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in B.C., and 63.2 per cent of people in that age group have now received both doses.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air quality alerts issued as wildfire smoke spreads east from Western Canada
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
Ellen DeGeneres addresses the 'hurtful' end of her talk show in new stand-up set
Ellen DeGeneres is reflecting on how her talk show came to an end in her newest Netflix special, 'Ellen's Last Stand ... Up Tour.'
When you have a moment's notice to evacuate, what do you take?
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
LIVE UPDATES Michael Cohen will face a bruising cross-examination by Trump's lawyers at the hush money trial
Donald Trump’s fixer-turned-foe returns to the witness stand Tuesday for a bruising round of questioning from the former president’s lawyers.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Risks of handcuffing someone facedown long known; people die when police training fails to keep up
For decades, police across the United States have been warned that the common tactic of handcuffing someone facedown could turn deadly if officers pin them on the ground with too much pressure or for too long.
A healthy lifestyle can mitigate genetic risk for early death by 62%, study suggests
Even if your genetics put you at greater risk for early death, a healthy lifestyle could help you significantly combat it, according to a new study.
Sunchips, Munchies recalled by Frito Lay Canada for possible salmonella contamination
Frito Lay Canada is recalling two of its most popular snacks due to a possible risk of salmonella contamination.