VICTORIA -- Health officials recorded 18 new cases of COVID-19 and one death in the Vancouver Island region Wednesday.
The new cases are among 427 cases discovered across B.C. since Tuesday.
The Island Health region has now recorded 2,027 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began.
Three more people in B.C. died from COVID-19 Wednesday, bringing the pandemic death toll to 1,317 in B.C. There have been 23 COVID-19 deaths on Vancouver Island.
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control says there are now 173 active COVID-19 cases in the Vancouver Island region, including 18 people in hospital and six in critical care.
Island Health identified the locations of 148 active COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, including 40 active cases in the South Island, 10 active cases in the North Island and 98 active cases in the Central Island.
There were no new outbreaks at health-care facilities Wednesday, though two outbreaks in Nanaimo are ongoing.
Health officials have now administered 176,015 COVID-19 vaccines, including 26,030 secondary doses, primarily to health-care workers and care home residents.
"Most people in B.C. are doing the right thing, and we encourage everyone, in turn, to support friends and family to also continue to take precautions in their daily lives," said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and health Minister Adrian Dix in a statement.
"It is not only our individual efforts that make the difference, but the power of all of us working together that helps break the chains of transmission."
