Twenty-eight new cases of COVID-19 on Vancouver Island were among the 625 new cases announced province-wide on Wednesday.
That brings the number of known active cases of COVID-19 on Vancouver Island to 142, including 58 in the south, 55 in the central region and 29 in the north.
Cases in the central Island had been dropping recently but are now on par with the south. An outbreak in Snuneymuxw First Nation in the Nanaimo-Ladysmith area includes at least 19 cases.
There are now 6,343 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, with 381 in hospital, including 78 in intensive or critical care, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a joint statement. In Island Health, nine people with COVID-19 are in hospital, including two in intensive or critical care.
Fraser Health recorded the highest number of new infections on Wednesday at 305, while Island Health had the fewest.
Eight more people have died from COVID-19 in the province, for a total of 962. Most are seniors living in long-term care or assisted living.
Two new health-care facility outbreaks were announced, at Chilliwack General Hospital and Sunnybank Retirement Home in Oliver. There are no outbreaks in hospitals on the Island.
In long-term care, the Island still has one outbreak, at Chartwell Malaspina Care Residence in Nanaimo. Island Health reported on Wednesday that an additional resident and one staff member had tested positive, bringing the total to seven residents and one staff member infected. That outbreak is confined to two units on the first floor. Residents have been isolated in their rooms, and all visitation, admissions and transfers have been halted.
To date 33,665 people have received a COVID-19 vaccine in B.C.
“Our focus is to ensure we safely deliver the vaccines as quickly as possible to communities across the province, using all available supply,” said the joint statement from Henry and Dix, which urged individuals who are struggling during the pandemic to care for both their mental and physical health and to reach out for help if needed.
“Let’s remember that no matter how dark the days may be, we are all in this storm together and you are not alone: support is available, if you need it,” said the statement.
“While the number of new cases and those with serious illness is higher than any of us want, there is light ahead, and with each day that we do our part and more people get immunized, that light gets brighter.”
Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 55,254 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in B.C., of which 46,728 have recovered.
