VICTORIA -- Provincial health officials have identified 22 more cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region and one more person has died of the disease.
The new cases are among 407 cases found across the province in the past 24 hours, according to a statement Tuesday from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix.
Fourteen people have died of the disease since Monday, Dix and Henry said. B.C.’s COVID-19 death toll now stands at 1,168.
“The number of new daily cases of COVID-19 is much higher than we want it to be,” said Dix and Henry. “We are asking for everyone’s help to bend our curve back down. This is especially critical with the presence of variant viruses in our province.”
Health officials have recorded 1,493 cases of COVID-19 in the Island Health region since the pandemic began.
There are 210 cases currently active in the island region, including 15 people in hospital and five in critical care.
Nineteen people in the island region have died of COVID-19 and 1,252 have recovered since the pandemic began.
On Tuesday, Island Health released data on the locations of 195 active cases of COVID-19 in the island region. The vast majority of those active cases – 157 – were in the Central Island region, while 22 were in the South Island and 16 were in the North Island.
An outbreak at Chartwell Malaspina Care Residence in Nanaimo is ongoing. It is currently the only long-term care centre outbreak on Vancouver Island.
“Our greatest source of transmission comes from when we spend time with those outside of our household, work or school bubble,” said Dix and Henry. “That is why staying small and equally important, avoiding all unnecessary travel, is what we need to do right now.”
A total of 122,359 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in B.C., including 4,105 secondary doses.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
