Vancouver Island records 137 new COVID-19 cases, 905 active cases

Health officials identified 137 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region Thursday as active cases in the region hit another all-time high.

The new cases were among 753 cases found across the province over the past 24 hours, according to the B.C. Health Ministry.

There are currently 3,878 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C., including 905 active cases in the Island Health region.

Island Health data identified the locations of 787 of the active cases Thursday, including 364 in the South Island, 208 in the Central Island and 215 in the North Island.

Three more COVID-19 deaths were reported in B.C. on Thursday, including one in the island region, one in Vancouver Coastal Health and one in Fraser Health.

Since the pandemic began, 2,396 people have died of COVID-19 in British Columbia, including 135 in Island Health.

As of Thursday, 40 people are in hospital for treatment of COVID-19 on Vancouver Island, including seven patients who require critical care.

VANCOUVER ISLAND HAS 71 OMICRON CASES

The province says 135 cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 have now been confirmed in B.C.

The variant cases include 71 confirmed in Island Health, 38 in Fraser Health, 20 in Vancouver Costal Health and one in Northern Health.

Approximately 86.8 per cent of eligible B.C. residents over five years old have now received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 82.5 per cent have received two doses.