5 new COVID-19 deaths confirmed in Island Health
Five deaths related to COVID-19 were confirmed in the Vancouver Island region Wednesday, according to the B.C. Ministry of Health.
Across the province, 21 deaths were reported over the past 24 hours, including those in Island Health.
Eighty-seven people are currently in hospital for treatment of COVID-19 on Vancouver Island, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control.
That total is down from the 100 patients reported on Tuesday, but up from the 60 confirmed a week ago on Jan. 19.
According to the BCCDC, 10 patients are currently receiving critical care for COVID-19 in Island Health, down from the 13 confirmed yesterday, but up from the seven reported on Jan. 19.
NEW CASES
Another 219 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the Vancouver Island region Wednesday.
The new cases were among 2,086 cases confirmed across the province over the past 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry.
While confirmed cases are not a true reflection of B.C.'s total number of COVID-19 cases, health officials say the tests are used as an indicator of transmission rates in the province.
Health officials add that Wednesday's totals are preliminary due to a "delayed data refresh" and may be updated at a later date.
As of Wednesday, there are 30,058 confirmed active cases of COVID-19 in B.C., including 1,781 active cases in the island region
VACCINATIONS
Approximately 89.7 per cent of eligible British Columbians aged five and older have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 83.6 per cent have received two doses.
Meanwhile, 42.2 per cent of eligible B.C. residents aged 12 and older have received three doses of vaccine.
Earlier Wednesday, the province also announced it was distributing 250,000 rapid test kits to child-care workers.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.