COVID-19 numbers take another jump as B.C. records 402 new cases but no additional deaths

B.C. health officials announced 402 new cases of COVID-19 but no additional deaths on Thursday.

In a written statement, the provincial Ministry of Health said there are currently 2,066 active cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus in B.C, the most since June 7.

A total of 58 people are in hospital, with 21 in intensive care. It is the highest number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the province since July 16.

Nearly 60 per cent of the new cases reported Thursday were in the Interior Health region, where officials reimposed a mask mandate last week.

The breakdown of new cases by region is as follows:

• 234 new cases in Interior Health, which has 1,121 active cases. 
• 82 new cases in Fraser Health, which has 449 active cases.
• 41 new cases in Vancouver Coastal Health, which has 290 active cases.
• 25 new cases in Island Health, which has 127 active cases.
• 20 new cases in Northern Health, which has 67 active cases.
• No new cases of people who reside outside of Canada, a group that has 12 active cases.

Overall hospitalizations, which typically lag behind spikes and dips in new cases, are up by nearly 14 per cent from last Thursday, when 51 people were in hospital with the disease. 

The number of patients in intensive care is up by about five per cent from 20 a week ago.

There are five active outbreaks in long-term care homes in B.C. One of them is in the Fraser Health region, while four are in the Interior Health region.

The provincial death toll from the disease is now 1,772 lives lost out of 151,375 confirmed cases to date.

As of Thursday, 81.7 per cent of those 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 68.4 per cent a second dose.

So far, 6.9 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, including 3,172,287 second doses.

Officials 'looking at options' regarding vaccine passports

Provincial health officials said they were looking at their options regarding vaccine passports in B.C. following the surge in cases driven by the delta variant.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Thursday that officials would not deny people essential services based on their vaccination status, but that she was clear that the province needed to make sure the health-care system is protected.

As universities and schools also prepare to reopen in the fall, Henry said officials were working closely with them to ensure in-classroom learning in September.

She said B.C. was not seeing increased transmission rates among children under the age of 12, and urged everyone working in those settings to get immunized if they are eligible.

Walk-in immunization clinics are now open across the province, though registration is still recommended to secure your dose.

British Columbians aged 12 and over who have not yet been immunized can register in three ways:

• Online through the Get Vaccinated portal.
• By calling 1-833-838-2323. Translators are available in 140 languages.
• In person at any Service B.C. location.