Island Health reports no new COVID-19 deaths as health orders extended
According to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, no new deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported in Island Health over the past 24 hours.
Across the province, however, two more deaths related to the illness were confirmed in Fraser Health, bringing the province's pandemic death toll to 2,492, including 155 in the island region.
HOSPITALIZATIONS
Fifty-eight people are currently in hospital for treatment of COVID-19 on Vancouver Island, including 10 patients in critical care.
Tuesday's update marks a slight decrease in hospitalizations from Monday, when 60 people were in hospital in Island Health, while the number of patients in ICU remains unchanged.
This time last month, 42 patients were in hospital in Island Health, including 14 who required intensive care, according to BCCDC data from Dec. 17.
NEW CASES
The BCCDC is reporting 237 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region Tuesday.
The new cases are among 2,032 cases confirmed across the province over the past 24 hours.
However, the B.C. Ministry of Health says 175 new cases of COVID-19 were added to the island region, while 1,975 were reported across the province Tuesday.
The Health Ministry notes its numbers are provisional "due to a delayed data refresh" and will be reviewed once that data is confirmed.
Health officials say that while confirmed cases are only a fraction of the actual number of cases in B.C., the test results are still an indicator of transmission rates in the province.
There are currently 37,224 confirmed active cases of COVID-19 in B.C., including 2,262 active cases in the island region, according to the BCCDC.
VACCINATIONS
As of Tuesday, 89.3 per cent of eligible British Columbians aged five and older have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 83.4 per cent have received two doses.
Meanwhile, 34.3 per cent of eligible British Columbians, aged 12 and older, have received a third dose of vaccine.
HEALTH ORDERS
Tuesday's update follows a live news conference in which provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix extended most of B.C.'s COVID-19 restrictions on indoor events and gatherings until at least Feb. 16.
However, the province is allowing gyms to reopen on Thursday with new guidelines around physical distancing between people exercising.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
TSB concludes investigation into cause of London, Ont. freight train fire
More than two weeks after a freight train with several railcars ablaze rolled through the heart of the Forest City, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has concluded its investigation.