Vancouver Island adds 11 new COVID-19 cases, modelling data shows vaccine progress
British Columbia health officials identified 11 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region Thursday.
The new cases were among 153 cases found across B.C. over the past 24 hours.
Health officials have now confirmed 146,996 cases of COVID-19 in the province since the pandemic began, including 5,107 cases in the Vancouver Island region.
Four more people have died of COVID-19 in the province, health officials announced Thursday, bringing B.C.'s pandemic death toll to 1,729.
Two of the deaths were recorded in the Vancouver Coastal Health region and the other two were recorded in the Fraser Health region.
“One of those people [was] in their 50s, one in their 60s and two were people who were over 80 years of age,” said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
There have been 41 deaths in the Vancouver Island region since the pandemic began.
There are currently 75 active cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region, including two people in hospital, but no one in critical care.
Island Health identified the locations of 49 active cases Thursday, including 31 in the South Island, 10 in the Central Island and eight in the North Island.
Approximately 74.9 per cent of adults in B.C. have now received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 72.8 per cent of people aged 12 and older have been vaccinated.
“This equates to about 325,000 immunizations every week in the last few weeks,” said Henry.
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said the province is also making “some significant progress” in administering second doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the province’s senior population.
The health minister said 24 per cent of British Columbians aged 70 and above have now received a second dose, while 17 per cent of those 60 and above have received a second dose, and 14 per cent of those 50 and above have had a second dose.
Henry said the province is “in a good position to continue safely moving forward with our restart plan,” adding, “we’ll be talking more about that next week.”
NEW MODELLING DATA
New provincial modelling data released Thursday reveals that while case numbers remain low on Vancouver Island, some communities continue to see higher infection rates than others.
The region of Cowichan Valley West leads the pack of Island Health areas with the highest average daily new cases, with approximately two new cases per 100,000 people, according to health ministry data sampled between June 1 and June 7.
Greater Victoria and the Saanich Peninsula had the second-highest rates of new daily infections with approximately one case per 100,000 people, followed by Greater Nanaimo with roughly 0.5 new cases per 100,000 people.
The Saanich Peninsula currently leads the way with the highest percentage of vaccinated adults on Vancouver Island. As of June 7, the region had an 85 per cent adult vaccination rate, besting Greater Victoria’s 80 per cent vaccination rate and Oceanside’s 78 per cent.
Adult vaccination rates on Vancouver Island as of June 7:
- Saanich Peninsula – 85%
- Greater Victoria – 80%
- Oceanside – 78%
- Cowichan Valley North – 77%
- Western Communities – 75%
- Comox Valley – 74%
- Alberni/Clayoquot – 73%
- Cowichan Valley West – 66%
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Angst and calls for resting places as Surrey, B.C., pet cemetery development continues
A single headstone is all that remains of dozens of markers for long-buried pets in a subdivision in Surrey’s Newton neighbourhood, where a half-acre parcel bears a large sign announcing the proposed construction of new homes.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.