3 new COVID-19 cases confirmed on Vancouver Island
B.C. health officials say three new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in the Vancouver Island region Friday.
The new cases were among 183 cases found across the province over the past 24 hours.
B.C. has now recorded 145,049 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, including 5,067 cases reported on Vancouver Island.
There are currently 67 active cases of COVID-19 in the island region, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control. Of those cases, three people are in hospital for treatment, and one more is receiving critical care.
Island Health identified the locations of 36 of the active cases Friday, including 18 in the South Island, 14 in the Central Island and four in the North Island.
The Central Island leads the region in COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, according to Island Health data. The Central Island has reported 2,443 cases since the start of the pandemic, the South Island has confirmed 1,906 cases and the North Island has reported 691.
Health officials say one person outside of the island region has died of the virus Friday, bringing the province's pandemic death toll to 1,710. Since the pandemic began, 41 people have died of COVID-19 in the Island Health region.
"Our condolences are with the family, friends and caregivers of the people who have died as a result of COVID-19," said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix in a joint statement.
Latest vaccine counts
B.C. has now administered 3,488,884 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, including 256,725 second doses.
As of Friday, 72.4 per cent of B.C. adults have received their first dose of vaccine, or 69.6 per cent of people aged 12 and older.
Health officials say the demand for COVID-19 vaccine has been strong throughout the process, and now B.C. is working on administering second doses.
Second doses are being rolled out based on health risks, similar to how first doses were prioritized earlier this year.
"Elders, seniors, clinically extremely vulnerable people and others who are highest risk will all be getting vaccinated with Dose 2, with more and more of the broader population following closely behind," said Dix and Henry.
"We are grateful for the many people in every part of our province who have stepped forward without pause to get their first, and now their second, dose," said the pair.
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