Fifty-five new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in Island Health on Friday — a new high for the region — as B.C. recorded its third-highest daily total with 908 cases.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix urged B.C. residents to continue to follow public health guidelines.
“While we are in a different stage of our COVID-19 pandemic than where we have been before — safe and effective vaccines that are increasing the protection for all of us — we are facing a sustained increase in clusters of new cases and outbreaks, including increasing cases caused by variants of concern,” they said in a statement.
“This requires all of us to continue to put our safety layers at the forefront of all we do.”
They said outdoor gatherings with the same small group of people are OK, but “seeing different friends on different days — even if we are outside — is unsafe.”
Indoor gatherings where the layers of protection — such as physical barriers and masks — are not used are also considered unsafe, they said.
Friday’s cases bring the total in the province to 95,677. Of those, 6,245 are active and 294 individuals in hospital, of whom 81 are in intensive care.
Three additional deaths were recorded, for a total of 1,449 in the province.
Of the new cases, 140 are variants of concern, for a total of 1,912 — most of which are the more transmissible strain first identified in the United Kingdom.
The number of cases reported on Friday was the highest daily total in 2021 and third only to the 948 cases announced on Nov. 14 and the 928 cases on Nov. 20.
Three additional cases were reported at Longlake Chateau, an independent-living facility in Nanaimo operated by Atria Retirement Canada. The outbreak was declared on Thursday. The new cases bring the total infected to eight — all residents.
Residents who tested positive and close contacts are isolating in their homes. The health authority said it is working with Longlake Chateau management to identify anyone who may have been exposed. Visits will be restricted to essential visitors and all staff and residents will be tested. About 106 tests have already been carried out, the health authority said.
As of Friday afternoon, a total of 637,856 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in B.C., including 87,233 second doses, Henry and Dix said.
More than 100,000 of the first doses have been in Island Health.
The milestone means approximately 13 per cent of the population within the region has been immunized against COVID-19.
Island Health began administering the COVID-19 vaccine to health care workers on Dec. 22. Since then, the vaccination program has expanded to include long-term care homes, assisted living sites and health care workers. Community clinics opened on March 15.
More than 11,500 doses have been administered in 50 First Nations communities.
Everyone who is eligible is expected to be able to receive a first dose before July 1. Second doses will be administered roughly 16 weeks after first doses.
Henry announced Thursday she was easing restrictions in long-term care homes where most staff and residents have been vaccinated, allowing elderly people to have multiple visitors and to socialize with one another.
She also announced that limited indoor religious services would be allowed starting Sunday and through May 13, enabling the observation of holidays including Passover, Easter and Ramadan.
Henry and Dix said in the statement Friday that safety protocols must be followed even in areas where restrictions have been eased.
“Social connections and the sharing of a meal or a hug is important for us all, yet we must be vigilant that our need for those connections doesn’t put ourselves or those we care about in harm’s way. Rather, step away from our screens and step outside with our small core group of close contacts,” they said.
“This weekend, choose to be safe, choose to stay small and choose to continue to do your part to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our province.”
