VICTORIA -- Health officials announced six new cases of COVID-19 on Vancouver Island Monday and one new case on Friday, bringing the region's total caseload to 166 infections since the pandemic began.
There are now 13 active cases of the coronavirus in the Island Health region.
The newest cases were discovered across all three Island Health areas from north to central to south.
Three new cases were discovered in the southern Vancouver Island region, which includes Greater Victoria, the Saanich Peninsula, Port Renfrew and the Southern Gulf Islands.
There have been 61 cases of COVID-19 in the South Island region since the pandemic began, with the most recent confirmed symptoms reported six days ago.
Two new cases were discovered in the North Island. The region has recorded 62 cases of the virus with the most recent symptoms also detected six days ago.
The Central Island region has reported two new cases. The region, which includes the communities of Tofino, Port Alberni, Nanaimo, Parksville, Lake Cowichan and Duncan, has now recorded 43 cases of the virus, with the last symptom onset reported one day ago.
Five people in the Island Health region have died since the pandemic began, while the provincewide death toll reached 203 on Monday with another death in the Fraser Health region.
All of the Island Health region's cases over the past month have been the result of community exposures or close links to existing cases, although the source of one case is still pending investigation Monday, according to Island Health data.
There have been 47,933 COVID-19 tests administered by Island Health as of Monday afternoon. Of the region's 166 cases, 162 were confirmed in a lab, while four were epidemiologically linked to other cases but no test was administered.
A total of 148 people who contracted the virus in the Island Health region have recovered, according to the province.
