B.C. records 867 new cases of COVID-19 and 3 more deaths

B.C. health officials announced 867 new cases of COVID-19 — the highest number of new cases since April 13 — as well as three more deaths on Friday. 

The Ministry of Health said in a written statement there are currently 5,657 active cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus in B.C.

A total of 159 people are in hospital. Of those, 84 are in intensive care, up from 59 a week ago.

Overall hospitalizations, which typically lag behind spikes and dips in new cases, are up by 30 from last Friday, when 129 people were in hospital with the disease. 

The provincial death toll from COVID-19 is now 1,807 lives lost out of 163,560 confirmed cases to date.

The regional breakdown of new cases is as follows:

• 350 new cases in Interior Health, which has 2,190 total active cases.
• 228 new cases in Fraser Health, which has 1,377 total active cases.
• 165 new cases in Vancouver Coastal Health, which has 1,132 total active cases. 
• 63 new cases in Island Health, which has 555 total active cases.
• 61 new cases in Northern Health, which has 393 total active cases.
• There are no new cases among people who reside outside of Canada, a group which has 10 total active cases.

There are a total of 14 active outbreaks in assisted living and long-term care. Of those, 11 are in Interior Health, two are in Fraser Health and one is in the Vancouver Coastal Health region.

As of Friday, 83.9 per cent of those 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 75.8 per cent a second dose.

So far, 7,408,715 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered.

Vaccine passports 

On Monday, the province announced a vaccine passport would be required to attend certain social or non-essential events. 

B.C. has since seen a noticeable jump in first dose vaccinations. 

The province said 8,529 people received a first vaccine dose on Thursday, bringing the total to 25,656 first doses since the vaccine card was announced Monday

The figures mean 3.5 per cent of all people 12 years and older who hadn't received a vaccine to date have done so over the last three days.

It's about a 200 per cent increase in bookings from the week before, most of them coming from people under the age of 40, according to the provincial government.

Back to school

The province also provided an update on back to school measures this week, saying that children in grades 4-12 will be required to wear masks in the classroom. 

UBC will not mandate vaccines but those who self-disclose as having not been vaccinated will need to undergo rapid testing. Students living in residence must have proof of vaccination. 

The University of Victoria, Thompson Rivers University and Simon Fraser University have followed suit, requiring self-disclosure of vaccination status or regular rapid testing.