VICTORIA -- Health officials have identified 25 more cases of COVID-19 in the Island Health region Wednesday.
Across the province, 469 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed over the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, six people died of the virus, bringing B.C.’s death toll to 1,269.
“We offer our condolences to everyone who has lost loved ones to COVID-19,” said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix in a joint written statement.
Island Health has now confirmed 1,917 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. Of those, cases 269 are currently considered active.
Island Health has released the approximate locations of 230 of the active cases. Sixty-two are located in the South Island, 157 are active in the Central Island, and 11 are ongoing in the North Island.
Twenty-one people are in hospital for treatment of COVID-19 in the island region, and eight more are receiving critical care. No one died of COVID-19 on Vancouver Island over the past 24-hours. Since the pandemic began, 20 people have died of the virus in the health authority.
There are now 4,305 active cases of COVID-19 across B.C., including 230 people who are in hospital, 66 of whom require critical care.
Health officials are urging British Columbians to stay close to home and avoid events as the Family Day long weekend and lunar new year approach.
“The risks from COVID-19 remain high for all of us, especially with the variants of concern, which is why staying in our local community and avoiding any unnecessary travel is so important right now,” said Dix and Henry.
“This weekend is the weekend to stay home – to show your family and friends you care by not giving COVID-19 the opportunity to spread.”
Health officials note that the province has compiled a list of activities that people can do with their household during the long weekend in almost every community of B.C.
As of Wednesday, B.C. has administered 157,797 COVID-19 vaccine doses, some 14,316 of which were second doses.
