Vancouver Island adds 64 new COVID-19 cases; active cases surpass 500

Victoria -

Health officials identified 64 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region Thursday as active cases hit a four-month high.

The new cases were among 724 cases found across British Columbia over the past 24 hours, according to a statement Thursday from the B.C. Health Ministry.

There are now 5,640 active cases of COVID-19 across B.C., including 502 active cases in the Vancouver Island region. The last time the island region’s active case count was over 500 was in mid-April.

Island Health identified the locations of 451 active cases in the region Thursday, including 194 in the South Island, 182 in the Central Island and 75 in the North Island.

There were two more deaths related to COVID-19 in B.C. on Thursday. Both deaths were recorded in the Interior Health region, according to the ministry.

Since the pandemic began, 1,804 people have died of COVID-19 in B.C., including 43 in the Vancouver Island region.

Twenty-four people are in hospital with COVID-19 in the island region, including 12 patients in critical care, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control.

There are 14 active outbreaks in B.C. health-care facilities but no active outbreaks on Vancouver Island.

Approximately 83.7 per cent of British Columbians aged 12 and older have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 75.6 per cent have received two doses.

Between Aug. 11 and Aug. 24, people who are not fully vaccinated accounted for 82.4 per cent of B.C.’s COVID-19 cases and 86.4 per cent of hospitalizations, according to the province.

Health officials have administered 7,390,103 doses of COVID-19 vaccine in B.C. since December.