Vancouver Island adds 3 new COVID-19 cases
British Columbia health officials identified three more cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region Wednesday.
The new cases were among 87 cases found across the province over the past 24 hours.
Health officials have now confirmed 147,271 cases of COVID-19 in B.C. since the pandemic began, including 5,156 cases in the island region
One more person in B.C. has died of the disease, health officials announced Wednesday, bringing the province’s pandemic death toll to 1,744.
There have been 41 deaths in the Vancouver Island region since the pandemic began.
There are currently 40 active cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region, including three people in hospital and two more in critical care, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control.
Island Health identified the locations of 25 active cases Wednesday, including 10 in the South Island, 14 in the Central Island and one in the North Island.
Approximately 77.2 per cent of adults in B.C. have now received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 75.8 per cent of people aged 12 and older have been vaccinated.
Additionally, nearly a quarter – 24.3 per cent – of B.C. adults have received a second dose of a vaccine, while 22.7 per cent of those 12 and older have received their second dose.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said Wednesday that although case numbers are dropping across the province, there continue to be new community transmissions every day.
“That is why, whether you live in the North, on the Coast or in the Interior, we strongly encourage everyone to get fully vaccinated as soon as you are eligible,” Henry and Dix said.
“For every person who gets vaccinated, it will allow us to gradually transition and safely reopen many things that have been on hold,” the health officials said. “Our approach in B.C. will continue to be a ‘dimmer switch’ instead of a ‘light switch’ approach.”
Background
CTV News Vancouver Island reports the daily COVID-19 case counts as reported by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix, which are based on BCCDC data. There may be a discrepancy between the daily case counts reported by the BCCDC and Island Health.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.