Vancouver Island adds 2 COVID-19 deaths over weekend

Seventeen deaths related to COVID-19 were confirmed in B.C. over the past 72 hours, including two that occurred in the Vancouver Island region.

The update brings B.C.'s pandemic death toll to 2,764, including 202 deaths that occurred in Island Health.

HOSPITALIZATIONS

There are currently 79 people in hospital with COVID-19 on Vancouver Island, down from the 88 reported Friday and 110 confirmed a week ago on Feb. 7.

Of those patients, 12 are currently receiving critical care, down from the 15 reported Friday but up from the nine recorded on Feb. 7.

Around this time last month, on Jan. 17, 60 people were in hospital with COVID-19 in Island Health, including 10 patients that required intensive care.

NEW CASES

Over the weekend, Island Health confirmed 423 new cases of COVID-19.

The new cases were among 2,701 cases confirmed across the province over the past 72 hours, including 1,151 cases added Saturday, 883 reported Sunday and 667 confirmed Monday.

The province notes that the weekend's case count is "provisional due to a system-wide downtime."

Health officials have previously said that while not everyone in B.C. is able to get a PCR test, test results serve as an indicator of transmission rates in the province.

VACCINATIONS

As of Monday, approximately 90.4 per cent of eligible B.C. residents aged five and older have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 85.3 percent have received two doses.

Meanwhile, roughly 55.3 per cent of British Columbians aged 12 and older have received three doses.