No COVID-19 deaths recorded in Island Health as province eases restrictions
There were no new deaths related to COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region Tuesday, according to a statement from the B.C. Health Ministry.
Elsewhere in the province, two people died in the Northern Health region. The update brings B.C.'s pandemic death toll to 2,766, including 202 deaths in Island Health.
The statement followed a live news conference in which provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced that fitness centres will be allowed to return to full capacity, and adult sports tournaments will be allowed to restart on Feb. 17.
Restrictions on private indoor gatherings will also be dropped at that time.
Bars and nightclubs will also reopen, with patrons allowed to dance and mingle between tables.
Organized events such as weddings and funeral receptions will be allowed to return to indoor venues, while movie theatres, arts venues and sports arenas will return to full capacity.
HOSPITALIZATIONS
Eighty-two people are currently in hospital with COVID-19 on Vancouver Island, up from 79 reported Monday but down from 92 confirmed a week ago on Feb. 8.
Meanwhile, 14 patients are receiving critical care in Island Health, up from 12 reported Monday and 10 recorded on Feb. 8.
Around this time last month, on Jan. 18, 58 people were in hospital with COVID-19 in Island Health, including 10 patients that required intensive care.
NEW CASES
There were 78 new COVID-19 cases recorded in the Island Health region Tuesday and 519 new cases reported provincewide.
However, the Health Ministry said a data error over the weekend means the total number of cases recorded on Tuesday was actually 246 but it did not include cases from Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health.
VACCINATIONS
As of Tuesday, approximately 90.4 per cent of eligible B.C. residents aged five and older have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 85.3 percent have received two doses.
Meanwhile, 55.5 per cent of British Columbians aged 12 and older have received three doses.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

'Big, dark canvas of despair': Rick Hansen speaks on how his mindset changed after being paralyzed
Rick Hansen's life changed the day he was told he'd never walk again, but instead of letting his disability stand in his way, he became an advocate for accessibility rights and a Paralympic Athlete. Here's how that happened.
Sandie Rinaldo: Rick Hansen marks the 50th anniversary of his life-changing accident by visiting the scene
Rick Hansen lost the use of his legs in a truck accident when he was just 15 years old, CTV National News anchor, Sandie Rinaldo interviewed him recently while visiting the place where his life changed irrevocably.
Israeli offensive shifts to crowded southern Gaza, driving up death toll despite evacuation orders
Israel pounded targets in the crowded southern half of the Gaza Strip on Saturday and ordered more neighborhoods designated for attack to evacuate, driving up the death toll even as the United States and others urged it to do more to protect Gaza civilians.
Protester critically injured after setting self on fire outside Israeli consulate in Atlanta
A protester was in critical condition Friday after setting themself on fire outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta, authorities said. A security guard who tried to intervene was also injured.
Russia brings new charges against jailed Kremlin foe Navalny
Imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been handed new charges by Russian prosecutors.
Gatineau, Que. Facebook Marketplace sellers using fake addresses to scam buyers
Residents of a Gatineau, Que. neighbourhood have been dealing with a string of strangers knocking at the doors of their homes looking to pick up their purchased products from Facebook Marketplace, but instead discovering they had been scammed.
Alleged Montreal-area 'Chinese police stations' planning to sue RCMP for $2.5 million
Two Chinese community centres in the Montreal area are planning to launch a $2.5 million defamation lawsuit against the RCMP and the Attorney General of Canada after being accused by the police force of hosting 'alleged Chinese police stations.'
Lawyer in Ali murder trial says 13-year-old B.C. victim was not an 'innocent'
Ibrahim Ali's lawyer says the 13-year-old girl he's accused of murdering in a British Columbia park wasn't the “innocent” depicted in a “rose-coloured” portrayal by the Crown at trial.
'I cry all the time': Nova Scotia couple returns after 40 days in Gaza
It has been five days since Palestinian-Canadian couple, Khalil and Nabila Manna, returned from visiting relatives in Gaza, but while the couple planned to visit for a short-period of time, the Israel-Hamas conflict left them stranded for 40 days