COVID-19 update: B.C. averages fewer than 100 cases per day over the weekend
British Columbia averaged fewer than 100 new cases of COVID-19 per day over the weekend, health officials revealed Monday after announcing the province is moving into the next phase of its restart plan.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said only 277 infections were identified over the three 24-hour reporting periods beginning Friday afternoon.
That includes just 68 detected from Sunday to Monday, which represents the lowest single-day increase in cases since September.
B.C. also recorded four more coronavirus-related fatalities over the weekend, bringing the province's death toll to 1,734.
"Our condolences are with the family, friends and caregivers of the people who have died as a result of COVID-19," Henry and Dix said in a joint written statement.
The number of people battling COVID-19 in hospital fell to 136 – a 16 per cent drop from Friday – while patients in intensive care decreased to 42.
B.C.'s active caseload also fell to 1,537, a drop of more than 300 from the last update. The number of active cases across the province hasn't been that low since Oct. 16.
Meanwhile, the province celebrated another vaccine milestone after surpassing four million doses administered in total.
That includes 154,765 given out over the weekend, the majority of which were second shots. B.C. has now administered 4,048,346 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines, including enough first shots to partially vaccinate 75.9 per cent of all adults in the province and 74.1 per cent of those 12 and older.
Henry and Dix have credited widespread immunization for the progress in controlling COVID-19 transmission, which has allowed officials to relax several restrictions in the province. But they have also stressed that more people must get registered and receive both doses to ensure the province keeps moving in the right direction, particularly as the Delta variant circulates in communities.
"Our target immunization rate is 100% – to get as many people fully vaccinated as soon as we can – so please register and book your appointments as soon as you are eligible," they said.
"Let’s keep moving forward safely as we enter this exciting next stage in B.C.'s restart plan."
Step 2 of the province's reopening begins on Tuesday, and will allow residents to travel recreationally anywhere in B.C. and host gatherings of up to 50 people outdoors.
Of the 146,453 cases of COVID-19 identified across B.C. so far, about 98 per cent – or 143,147 people – have recovered.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Russia announces nuclear weapon drills after angry exchange with senior Western officials
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army ordered some 100,000 Palestinians on Monday to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent and further complicating efforts to broker a cease-fire in Gaza.