Vancouver Island adds 42 new COVID-19 cases over long weekend
Health officials identified 42 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region over the long weekend as active cases in the region continue to rise.
The new cases were among 742 cases found across British Columbia since Friday. Of the new B.C. cases, 160 were identified on Saturday, 196 were identified on Sunday, 185 were identified on Monday and 201 were found on Tuesday.
There are currently 1,544 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C., including 85 active cases in the island region, according to a statement from the B.C. health ministry.
Island Health officials identified the locations of 79 active cases in the island region Tuesday, including 42 in the South Island, 32 in the Central Island and five in the North Island.
There is currently one person in hospital with COVID-19 in the island region and no one in critical care, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control.
DELTA VARIANT ON VANCOUVER ISLAND
The update comes as new data reveals the Delta variant has accounted for most, if not all, new COVID-19 cases recorded on Vancouver Island since the middle of July.
According to the BC Centre for Disease Control, the highly contagious Delta variant accounted for all 30 new COVID-19 cases recorded in the island region between July 18 and July 24.
Delta variant cases made up approximately 61 per cent of all COVID-19 cases across the province that same week, with the Island Health authority reporting the highest prevalence of the variant at 100 per cent, followed by the Interior Health authority at 89 per cent and the Vancouver Coastal Health authority at 57 per cent.
“We know that the same measures that we take to prevent transmission work against all of the variants, including Delta, which is the one that we’re seeing circulating quite frequently right now,” said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry during an unrelated news conference Tuesday afternoon.
“The vast majority of people who are getting sick with COVID right now have not been immunized,” Henry said. “Less than four per cent of the cases that we’ve had in the last two months have been people who were vaccinated, so we know the vaccine works to protect people.”
One person in the Vancouver Coastal Health region died of COVID-19 over the weekend, bringing the province's pandemic death toll to 1,772.
Since the pandemic began, 41 people have died of COVID-19 in the Island Health region, where 5,307 cases have been recorded.
As of Tuesday, 81.4 per cent of British Columbians aged 12 and older have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 67.3 per cent have received two doses.
B.C. health-care workers have administered 6,902,320 doses of COVID-19 vaccine since the vaccines became available in December.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
'Unacceptable': Trudeau reacts after AFN chief says headdress taken from plane cabin
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Regina police officer injured after being accidentally shot by fellow officer's gun
An investigation is underway after a Regina police officer was accidentally shot by a fellow officer’s gun during the search of a house early Friday morning.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.