Six more people with COVID-19 have died in Island Health, bringing the number of COVID-related deaths in region in the past week to 17.
A total of 232 new confirmed cases were reported in Island Health on Friday, though experts have said daily numbers are likely much higher because the province has hit its testing capacity limits.
B.C. reported 1,799 new cases of COVID-19 and 19 related deaths.
In a statement Friday, the Health Ministry said the province has 25,479 active cases, 946 people are in hospital and 139 of them are in intensive care. Island Health has 121 COVID-19 patients in hospital, including 10 in ICUs.
There are three new health-care facility outbreaks bringing the total to 58, most of them at long-term care sites. Two of the new outbreaks are in Island Health: Chemainus Health Care Centre and Selkirk Seniors Village in Victoria.
Twenty-three other long-term care and assisted living facilities on Vancouver Island have reported outbreaks. There are also outbreaks at Victoria General Hospital, Nanaimo Regional General Hospital and Cowichan District Hospital.
Officials say 90 per cent of eligible residents age 12 and older have had two shots of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 48 per cent have had a booster dose.
Between Jan. 27 and Feb. 2, people who were not fully vaccinated accounted for about 25 per cent of cases overall and from Jan. 20 to Feb. 2 they made up more than 31 per cent of hospitalizations, the ministry said.
