B.C. records another 1,344 COVID cases as province marks one year since first case this week

B.C. has recorded another 1,344 new cases of COVID-19 over a three-day period.

From Friday to Saturday there were 527 cases, from Saturday to Sunday there were 471 cases and from Sunday to Monday there were 346 cases.

This now brings B.C.’s total to 64,828 cases.

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B.C.’s seven-day average remains almost flat.

There was an average of 477 cases last Monday and today is at 483. Four weeks ago on Dec. 28, it was 481.

Sadly, there have been 26 more deaths, bringing the total to 1,154 people who have died from complications of COVID-19.

There are 13 more people in hospital, bringing the total to 328. Sixty-eight people remain in the ICU.

In total, 57,831 people have recovered from the virus.

There remain 4,392 active cases and 6,607 people remain in isolation.

In total, over a three-day period, 314 were in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 618 were in Fraser Health, 73 were in Vancouver Island Health, 234 were in Interior Health, 104 were in Northern Health and one case was from a person who normally resides outside of Canada.

To date, there have been five cases of B117, known as the U.K. variant with all of them related to travel, Dr. Bonnie Henry said Monday.

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In addition, there have been three cases of B1351, known as the South African variant, with those all related to community spread, which is concerning and they are watching those cases closely, Henry added.

On Friday, B.C. reported 508 new cases of the virus, along with nine additional deaths.

In a written statement, health officials said there were 4,479 active cases of the virus in B.C.

An additional 6,719 people were isolating due to possible exposure.

This week marks one year since the first presumptive COVID-19 case in Canada was announced.

The first-lab confirmed case in B.C. was announced on Jan. 28.

Within six weeks, COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic.

“Today is an appropriate time to commemorate the more than 1,000 British Columbians we have lost so far to COVID-19. It is also the time to acknowledge the countless efforts and sacrifices people have made to help protect and take care of others over the last year,” B.C. Premier John Horgan remarked in a statement.