B.C. reports 1,533 new COVID-19 cases, 26 deaths over four days

Health officials on Tuesday reported 1,533 new cases of COVID-19 in B.C. over the past four days, along with 26 deaths.

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There were 452 COVID-19 cases from Friday to Saturday, 431 cases Saturday to Sunday, 348 from Sunday to Monday, and 302 from Monday to Tuesday.

Of the new cases, 392 were in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 856 were in the Fraser Health region, with 58 in Island Health, 92 in Interior Health, and 135 in Northern Health.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said while the overall number of cases has been declining gradually, the seven-day rolling average of cases is starting to rise.

In the Fraser Health region, Henry said, the viral reproductive rate has risen above one, meaning each infected person is passing the virus on to at least one other person on average.

The seven-day rolling average of B.C.’s positivity rates is 6.2 per cent.

The 26 deaths bring the province’s COVID-19 death toll to 1,314.

The number of people in hospital with the disease increased from 226 to 231. Of those, 74 are in intensive care, an increase of 13 from Friday.

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There are 4,189 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, a decrease of 158 from Friday, while 7,136 people are in self-isolation due to possible exposure to the coronavirus.

Henry said more than 171,000 doses of vaccine have been administered in B.C.

Henry said additional doses of the Pfizer vaccine have arrived in B.C. with more to be delivered in the coming days.

Health Minister Adrian Dix said the province hopes to have 10 per cent of the population immunized by April.

— With files from Amy Judd and The Canadian Press