Daily COVID cases in B.C. climb over 400 as Province urges vaccinations

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

Daily COVID cases in B.C. climb over 400 as Province urges vaccinations

British Columbia health officials are reporting 402 new cases of COVID-19 for the entire province on Thursday, with 25 linked to the Island Health region.

www.cheknews.ca

British Columbia health officials are reporting 402 new cases of COVID-19 for the entire province on Thursday, with 25 linked to the Island Health region.


Within the Island Health region, there is currently a total of 127 active COVID-19 cases.


The 402 cases mark the highest daily total since May 21.


In a statement released to the media, Dr. Bonnie Henry says that 58 are in hospital with 21 people in critical care as a result of the virus. There are currently 2,066 active cases in British Columbia.


Since Wednesday’s numbers, there have been 41 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 82 in the Fraser Health region, 25 in the Island Health region, 234 in the Interior Health region, 20 in the Northern Health region and no cases for people who reside outside of Canada.


There were zero additional deaths related to the virus on Thursday. This keeps the provincial death total over the course of the pandemic to 1,772.

Also as of Thursday, the total number of cases in British Columbia over the course of the pandemic has reached 151,375.


The Province continues to urge British Columbians to get vaccinated, coming on the heels of the first Walk-in Wednesday — an initiative aimed at boosting immunizations in each community.


According to health officials, more than 33,000 British Columbians showed up at clinics on Walk-in Wednesday — 16,505 being walk-ins — with over 7,600 first doses being administered.


“From Vanderhoof to Victoria, from Chilliwack to Creston, we saw thousands of people throughout B.C. drop in for Walk-in Wednesday and do their part to get vaccinated,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “With nearly 68 per cent of eligible people now fully vaccinated in our province, every dose we administer brings us closer to our goal. The best way to keep us all safe is to get vaccinated.”


The Province set aside 20,000 doses for walk-in vaccinations and more than 80 per cent of those doses were administered, said Dix.


B.C. adds that 37.6 per cent of the immunizations administered were first doses, marking the highest total of first doses given in a day since July 10, 2021.


“Our province is currently facing a wave of cases in the unvaccinated,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer. “Events like Walk-in Wednesday are critical for making it even easier for people to get their vaccines. I am grateful to all the British Columbians who have rolled up their sleeves to get their COVID-19 vaccine – this simple act brings us one step closer to putting the pandemic behind us.”


As for the Province’s total vaccination program, B.C. has now administered a total of 6,965,062 doses of COVID-19 immunizations.


Health officials say that equates to first doses for 82.6 per cent of all eligible adult British Columbians and 81.7 per cent of all eligible people 12 and older.


In addition, 70.6 per cent of all eligible adults have received their second dose, totalling 3,053,283 residents.