Vancouver Island adds 197 new COVID-19 cases over weekend

B.C. health officials identified 197 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region over the past 72 hours, according to a statement from the Health Ministry on Monday.

The new cases were among 946 cases found across the province over the past three days.

Of that total, 351 cases were discovered Saturday, 311 were confirmed Sunday and 284 were identified Monday.

There are currently 2,876 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C., according to the Health Ministry, including 624 active cases in the Island Health region.

Island Health has the second-highest number of active cases in the province behind the Fraser Health region, where 927 cases are active Monday.

Island Health data identified the locations of 511 of the active cases Monday, including 89 in the South Island, 212 in the Central Island and 210 in the North Island.

Health officials say 11 deaths related to COVID-19 were reported in the province over the weekend.

Five occurred in Fraser Health, four were confirmed in Northern Health and two were reported in Interior Health.

According to the BC Centre for Disease Control, 37 people are currently in hospital for treatment of COVID-19 on Vancouver Island, including nine patients who require critical care.

Since the pandemic began, 2,362 people have died of COVID-19 in B.C., including 124 deaths recorded in the Island Health region.

As of Monday, approximately 85.5 per cent of eligible British Columbians have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 82 per cent have received two doses.

Between Nov. 26 and Dec. 2, people who are not vaccinated accounted for 51.4 per cent of the province's COVID-19 cases. Between Nov. 19 and Dec. 2, unvaccinated people also accounted for 61.5 per cent of hospitalizations related to COVID-19 in B.C.