'Summer of hope': Vancouver Island adds 3 COVID-19 cases
B.C. health officials identified three new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region Tuesday.
The cases were among 56 new cases confirmed across the province over the past 24 hours.
B.C. has now reported 147,187 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, including 5,153 cases found in the island region.
There are currently 44 active cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control. Of those cases, four people are in hospital for treatment, and one more is receiving critical care.
Island Health identified the locations of 28 of the active cases Tuesday, including 15 in the South Island, 12 in the Central Island and one in the North Island.
Health officials say no COVID-19-related deaths occurred Tuesday. Since the pandemic began, 1,743 people have died of the disease in B.C. including 41 people from the island region.
Approximately 77.7 per cent of adults in B.C. have now received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 76.2 per cent of youth aged 12 and older have received their first shot.
B.C.'s top doctor says the province's vaccine rollout is holding steady. In total, B.C. has administered 4,511,923 vaccine doses, including 1,001,192 second doses.
"Now, more than a million people are fully immunized," said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry on Tuesday.
Henry said B.C.'s reopening plan is "progressing well," but adds that getting vaccinated is crucial to the province's reopening.
"When we're immunized, we protect each other and we protect ourselves. That's how we can travel and have a better summer for all of us," she said, adding that the next few months could be a "summer of hope and summer of healing."
Henry added that fluctuations in vaccine supply means that the province will have more Moderna than Pfizer vaccine doses for the next several weeks.
She reiterated that it was safe to mix and match vaccine doses, and that British Columbians should "be assured it is safe and effective to have either dose here in Canada."
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 from the daily case counts reported by the BCCDC and Island Health.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.