BC announces 1,428 new cases, 67 in Interior Health region

Photo: BC Gov Flickr

The B.C. government has announced 1,428 new coronavirus cases, including 67 in the Interior Health region, in the past 72 hours.

The new cases bring the province’s total since the pandemic began to 77,263, although the vast majority have already recovered. There are now 4,486 active cases in B.C. Within the Interior Health region, there are 624 active cases.

The cases were confirmed over the weekend as follows:

• Feb. 19/20 — 504 cases
• Feb. 20/21 — 475 cases
• Feb. 21/22 — 449 cases

There were another eight COVID-19 related deaths over the weekend, bringing B.C.’s toll to 1,335.

There are 223 people hospitalized with the virus in B.C., 63 of whom are in intensive care. In the IH region, just 19 people are hospitalized with nine in the ICU.

To date, 218,726 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in B.C., 55,057 of which are second doses.

“There are 28 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 variants of concern in our province, for a total of 101 cases and two cases of variants that are under investigation. Of the total number of cases, four are active and the remaining 97 have now recovered,” said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix in a news release.

“This includes 81 B.1.1.7 (UK), 20 B.1.31 (South Africa) and two B.1.525 (Nigeria) variants, the latter of which is under investigation. Of these confirmed cases, 58 are in Fraser Health, 38 are in Vancouver Coastal Health, four are in Island Heath and three are in the Interior Health regions.”

Photo: Castanet Staff