VICTORIA -- Vancouver Island added eight more cases of COVID-19 on Friday as more than 700 new cases were recorded across the province.
Eleven more people in B.C. have died of the coronavirus, pushing the provincial death toll to 598 since the start of the pandemic.
“We offer our condolences to everyone who has lost their loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix in a statement Friday.
Most of the 737 new cases recorded across B.C. on Friday were found in the Lower Mainland.
The Island Health region’s seven-day average caseload continued its downward trend this month with Friday’s update. On Nov. 30, the island region was averaging 38.9 new cases a week, while that average fell to 22 on Friday.
"This weekend, take a step back from the usual holiday rush,” Dix and Henry urged British Columbians. “Take the time to get outside and enjoy a quieter weekend with those in your household. Show your loved ones you care by staying local and staying away right now.”
There are now 105 active COVID-19 cases across the Vancouver Island region, a significant drop from 161 cases active on Thursday.
Seven people are in hospital with COVID-19 on Vancouver Island and five people are in critical care.
Eight people in the Island Health region have died of the disease since the start of the pandemic
Approximately 40,797 people in the province have contracted COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
