Vancouver Island adds 90 new COVID-19 cases, tying all-time record

Victoria -

Health officials identified 90 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region Friday, tying the record for highest single-day case count during the pandemic.

The new cases were among 820 cases found across British Columbia over the past 24 hours, according to a statement from the B.C. health ministry.

There are now 5,850 active cases of COVID-19 across B.C., including 539 active cases in the Vancouver Island region.

The 90 new cases Friday matched the previous all-time high that was set on Wednesday, according to numbers provided by the ministry. 

Island Health data identified the locations of 463 active cases in the region Friday, including 181 in the South Island, 202 in the Central Island and 80 in the North Island.

There were nine more deaths from COVID-19 reported in B.C. on Friday, including one in the Island Health region. Three deaths were recorded in the Interior Health region, three in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, and two in the Northern Health region.

Since the pandemic began, 1,856 people have died of COVID-19 in B.C., including 54 in the Vancouver Island region.

Nineteen people are in hospital with COVID-19 on Vancouver Island and 13 patients are in critical care, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control.

There are currently 22 active outbreaks in B.C. health-care facilities, including one outbreak on Vancouver Island.

The outbreak at the Sunset Lodge care home in Victoria has infected 36 people and four residents have died of the illness.

As of Friday, 85.5 per cent of British Columbians aged 12 and older have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 78 per cent have received two doses.

Health officials have administered 7,583,999 doses of COVID-19 vaccine in B.C. since December.