Vancouver Island records 3 more COVID-19 deaths as active cases again surpass 600

Three more people died of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region Thursday as health officials announced 98 new cases of the disease in Island Health.

The new cases were among 341 cases found across the province over the past 24 hours, the B.C. Health Ministry said in a statement.

The island region added more COVID-19 cases in the past day than any other region in the province, with Fraser Health recording 83 new cases, Vancouver Coastal Health adding 61 new cases and Interior Health recording 70 new cases. 

There are now 2,915 active cases of COVID-19 across the province, including 606 active cases in the Island Health region.

Island Health data identified the locations of 529 active cases Thursday, including 117 in the South Island, 199 in the Central Island and 213 in the North Island.

Island Health continues to have the second-highest number of active COVID-19 cases in the province, behind the Fraser Health region where 881 cases are currently active.

Nine COVID-19 deaths were reported in B.C. on Thursday, including three deaths in the Island Health region, three in the Fraser Health region, two in Northern Health and one in Interior Health.

Since the pandemic began, 2,378 people have died of the illness in B.C., including 130 deaths in the island region.

Thirty-four people are currently in hospital for treatment of COVID-19 on Vancouver Island, including eight patients in critical care, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control.

As of Thursday 85.9 per cent of eligible British Columbians aged five and older have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 82.1 per cent have received two doses.