Island Health reports 4 more COVID-19 deaths, 354 new cases

B.C. health officials say four more deaths related to COVID-19 were confirmed in Island Health over the past 24 hours.

Across the province, 15 deaths related to the illness were reported in B.C., including the ones in Island Health.

Since the pandemic began, 2,520 people have died of COVID-19 in B.C., including 161 in Island Health.

HOSPITALIZATIONS

Fifty-six patients are currently in hospital for treatment of COVID-19 in Island Health, according to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.

That total is down slightly from Wednesday, when 60 patients were in hospital, and down from a week ago, when 65 people were hospitalized on Jan. 13.

As of Thursday, seven patients are receiving critical care in Island Health. That total is unchanged from Wednesday, but down from the nine confirmed on Jan. 13.

This time last month, 37 people were in hospital for COVID-19 on Vancouver Island, including 14 patients who required critical care.

NEW CASES

Another 354 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the Vancouver Island region Thursday, according to the B.C. Ministry of Health.

The new cases were among 2,150 confirmed across the province over the past 24 hours.

While confirmed cases are only a portion of the total number of cases in B.C., health officials say the test results are still an indicator of transmission in the province.

As of Thursday, there are 34,835 confirmed active cases of COVID-19 in B.C., including 2,104 active cases in the island region.

VACCINATIONS

Roughly 89.4 per cent of eligible British Columbians aged five and older have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 83.5 per cent have received two doses.

Meanwhile, approximately 36.7 per cent of eligible British Columbians aged 18 and older have received a third dose of vaccine.