COVID-19 update: B.C. reports 2,239 cases, 18 deaths as vaccine card grace period ends
Another 2,239 cases of COVID-19 and 18 coronvirus-related deaths were recorded across B.C. over the weekend, officials announced Monday after the government's vaccine card grace period came to an end.
The latest case numbers, provided in a written update from the Ministry of Health, pushed the province's seven-day average for new infections to 728 per day, up from 650 on Friday. The seven-day average for COVID-19 deaths increased to 5.86 per day, the highest it's been since mid-February.
Six of the deceased lived in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, five lived in the Interior Health region, three each lived in the Fraser Health and Island Health regions, and one lived in the Northern Health region.
The number of infectious COVID-19 patients in hospital decreased to 303, including 141 people in intensive care. That's down from 319 hospitalizations as of Friday afternoon, with 149 patients in ICU.
Officials did not provide a breakdown of the patients' vaccination status on Monday, but the unvaccinated consistently represent the majority of coronavirus hospitalizations.
"After factoring for age, people not vaccinated are 25.9 times more likely to be hospitalized than those fully vaccinated," the Ministry of Health said in Friday's update.
Officials also didn't include the number of patients who were hospitalized for COVID-19 and remain in hospital for treatment, despite no longer being considered infectious. There were 152 such patients going into the weekend.
Fraser Health and Interior Health once again recorded the highest numbers of COVID-19 infections, accounting for 857 and 525 cases, respectively, while Northern Health continued to see the highest rate of transmission per capita.
Northern Health added 125.9 cases per 100,000 residents over the weekend, compared to 63.4 in Interior Health, 44.9 in Fraser Health, 26.8 in Island Health, and 21.4 in Vancouver Coastal Health.
B.C. has now administered 7,802,535 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines, with 87.7 of eligible residents having received one shot and 80.5 per cent having received both.
British Columbians and visitors are now required to show proof-of-vaccination to take part in a number of non-essential activities, including dining in at restaurants or going to the movies, and as of Monday must do so using a government-supplied QR code.
The province's transition period, during which people were allowed to present their physical vaccine records from their immunization appointments, ended over the weekend.
Officials also announced four new COVID-19 outbreaks in health-care facilities Monday, at The Residence in Mission, Hallmark on the Lake in Abbotsford, Magnolia Gardens in Langley, and Cooper Place in Vancouver. Five others were declared over, leaving 21 active outbreaks across B.C.'s health-care system.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
Ottawa injects another $36M into fund for those seriously injured or killed by vaccines
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Ex-SNC executive sentenced to prison term in bridge bribery case
The RCMP says a former SNC-Lavalin executive has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison in connection with a bribery scheme for a bridge repair contract in Montreal.