Vancouver Island adds 96 new COVID-19 cases, 2 deaths in 24 hours
British Columbia health officials identified 96 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region Friday.
The new cases were among 405 cases found across the province over the past 24 hours.
There are currently 3,071 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C., including 646 active cases in the Vancouver Island region, according to a statement from the Ministry of Health.
Island Health continues to have the second highest number of active cases in B.C., behind the Fraser Health region, where 990 cases are active Friday, according to the province.
Vancouver Island's top doctor told CTV News on Thursday that the island's recent surge in new and active cases was partly caused by a religious gathering in the Courtenay area last week.
Island Health data identified the locations of 577 active cases Friday, including 128 in the South Island, 248 in the Central Island and 201 in the North Island.
Six deaths related to COVID-19 were confirmed in B.C. over the past 24 hours, including two that occurred in the island region.
Three other deaths were reported in Fraser Health and one was in Vancouver Coastal Health.
Since the pandemic began, 2,351 COVID-19-related deaths have been reported in B.C., including 124 deaths confirmed in the Island Health region.
According to the BC Centre for Disease Control, 44 people are in hospital for treatment of COVID-19 on Vancouver Island, including 14 patients who require critical care.
As of Friday, 85.1 per cent of eligible British Columbians have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 81.8 per cent have receive two doses.
Between Nov. 25 and Dec. 1, people who are not vaccinated accounted for 54 per cent of the province's COVID-19 cases, despite only making up approximately 15 per cent of British Columbians.
From Nov. 18 to Dec. 1, people who are not vaccinated also accounted for 61.4 per cent of hospitalizations related to COVID-19 in B.C.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Bob Cole, veteran CBC broadcaster and former voice of 'Hockey Night in Canada,' dead at 90
Bob Cole, legendary CBC broadcaster and former voice of Hockey Night in Canada, has died. He was 90.
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.