Vancouver Island adds 25 new COVID-19 cases, active cases now 127
Health officials have identified 25 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region Thursday.
The new cases were among 402 cases found across the province over the past 24 hours.
Thursday's update marked the highest single-day increase in new cases since May 20, when B.C. added 433 COVID-19 cases, according to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.
There are currently 2,066 active cases of COVID-19 across B.C., including 127 active cases in the Island Health region, according to the B.C. Ministry of Health.
Island Health officials identified the locations of 108 active cases Thursday, including 56 in the South Island, 47 in the Central Island and five in the North Island.
No deaths related to the disease were reported in B.C. on Thursday, leaving the province's death toll at 1,772.
According to the BCCDC, there is currently one person in hospital and one more receiving critical care in the Island Health region.
Since the pandemic began, 5,364 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the island region, while 41 people have died of the disease.
LATEST VACCINE STATISTICS
As of Thursday, approximately 81.7 per cent of people aged 12 and older have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in B.C., while 68.4 per cent of eligible people have received both doses.
In total, the province has administered 6,965,062 doses of COVID-19 vaccine since December.
Earlier Thursday, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said that the vast majority of recent cases were found in people who were not fully vaccinated.
"Ninety-five per cent, across the province, of people who are infected right now are people who are not immunized or who have not yet received their second dose," Henry said at a news conference.
Both Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix urged British Columbians to get vaccinated if they have not already.
Dix added that the province was looking at ways to increase vaccine accessibility, saying that health officials were working to "find different opportunities to reach people and give them the opportunity to get vaccinated."
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.