VICTORIA -- Health officials identified 35 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region Thursday.
The new cases were among 622 cases found across the province over the past 24 hours, bringing B.C.’s total to 90,049 coronavirus cases since the pandemic began.
Health officials have now recorded 2,835 cases of COVID-19 in the island region since the pandemic began.
There were eight more deaths from the disease reported in B.C. on Thursday, bringing B.C.’s COVID-19 death toll to 1,419. None of the deaths were recorded in the Vancouver Island region, where 28 people have died during the pandemic.
There are now 236 active cases of COVID-19 in the island region, including nine people in hospital and three more in critical care.
Island Health revealed the locations of 197 active cases Thursday, including 72 in the South Island, 97 in the Central Island and 28 in the North Island.
Health officials confirmed 136 new COVID-19 variant cases in B.C. on Thursday. There have now been 1,132 variant cases recorded in B.C., including 143 that are considered active Thursday.
The province has now administered 465,584 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, including 87,120 secondary doses.
“With the steady supply of three safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines in B.C., we are making meaningful strides in our provincewide pandemic response and immunization program,” said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix in a statement Thursday.
“On our current age-based trajectory, everyone who is eligible for a vaccine will have access to a vaccine before July 1, 2021,” Dix and Henry added. “This is encouraging news for all of us.”
Starting on March 20, British Columbians who are 79 or older can begin booking their vaccine appointments, with new age groups eligible later in the week.
