Vancouver Island adds 2 new COVID-19 deaths, 82 more cases
The BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) identified 82 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region Tuesday.
The new cases were among 652 cases recorded across the province over the past 24 hours, according to BCCDC data.
There are currently 5,992 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C., including 677 active cases in the island region, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control.
Thirty-five people are in hospital for treatment of COVID-19 on Vancouver Island, including 15 people receiving critical care.
Island Health identified the locations of 577 active cases Tuesday, including 299 in the South Island, 235 in the Central Island and 43 in the North Island
Two more people have died of COVID-19 in the Island Health region. They were the only deaths reported across the province Tuesday.
Since the pandemic began, 1,942 people have died of COVID-19 in B.C., including 65 deaths in the Island Health region.
On Tuesday afternoon, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix provided a live update on the province's management of the pandemic.
At the live update, Henry announced that B.C. would be offering a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine to residents of long-term care homes and assisted living facilities. The booster shots will begin next week, said Henry.
Roughly 87.8 per cent of people aged 12 and older in B.C. have now received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 80.6 per cent of eligible people have received two doses.
In total, the province has administered 7,812,228 doses of vaccine since it began its immunization campaign in December.
Meanwhile, B.C.'s health minister said Tuesday that more contact-tracing staff will be added to all health authorities across the province.
As of Tuesday, there are 1,164 contact tracers working across B.C., and Dix says the province plans to add another 147 workers as soon as possible.
New temporary health order
During the live update, B.C.'s top doctor also announced that new temporary health orders were coming to the Fraser Health region, specifically the Fraser East local health area, starting Tuesday.
Henry said the temporary measures are similar to what was placed in the Central Okanagan region earlier this summer, including caps on indoor and outdoor social gathering sizes, and limits on capacity for some events.
Additionally, Henry and Dix said that each health authority will soon be posting school COVID-19 exposures on their own websites.
The health authorities will no longer send out letters to school communities about possible exposures, with health officials saying that online updates are a more effective means of communication.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.