VANCOUVER -- British Columbia reported another 446 cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, as well as nine more deaths from the disease.
The province has now recorded 58,553 coronavirus infections since the start of the pandemic, and 1,019 fatalities.
In a joint written statement, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix offered condolences to "everyone who has lost their loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic."
Another 603 people have also recovered from COVID-19, which helped push B.C.'s number of active cases down to 5,045 – the lowest it's been since Nov. 9.
That includes 368 patients in hospital, 72 of whom are in intensive care or critical care units.
Health officials also announced one new outbreak at Mount St. Joseph's Hospital.
Henry and Dix also provided an update on the province's immunization program, revealing 62,294 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been administered so far.
On Monday, health officials indicated they expected B.C. would run out of Pfizer doses by the end of the day, but that more shipments of both vaccines should be arriving soon.
"Despite the challenges of COVID-19, there are many safe ways for us to stay active and stay connected. This is important for our physical and mental well-being," Henry and Dix said.
"Things are different than what they were before the pandemic. But we have learned, we have adapted, and by following the orders and rules for a bit longer, we will soon get to the brighter days ahead."
Approximately 87 per cent of all confirmed cases in B.C. – 51,144 people – have recovered.
Most of the currently active cases are recovering at home. Another 7,237 people are also under active public health monitoring after being exposed to a known case.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
