B.C. reports 550 new COVID-19 cases, two deaths as total cases top 85k

B.C. recorded 550 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday and two deaths.

Of the new cases, 133 were in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 319 in the Fraser Health region, seven in the Island Health region, 36 in the Interior Health region and 52 in the Northern Health region.

2:33 First case of Brazilian COVID-19 variant found in B.C.

The seven-day average for new cases stands at 536 — 16 more than Monday and 57 more than the same time last week.

There have been 182 new confirmed COVID-19 cases involving variants of concern for a total of 576 cases.

The number of active cases linked to COVID-19 variants jumped to 113.

A variant first identified in Brazil has been detected in B.C. There have been 13 cases of the P.1 variant, six of which are active.

The seven-day rolling average of B.C.’s positivity rates is 6.7 per cent.

The number of people in hospital with the disease rose by nine to 249. Sixty-eight of those patients are in intensive care.

12:23 Outbreaks at vaccinated B.C. long-term-care facilities serve as a warning

A total of 1,393 people in B.C. have died of COVID-19.

There are 4,869 active COVID-19 cases in the province and 8,971 people are in self-isolation due to possible exposure to the coronavirus.

A total of 343,381 doses of vaccine have been administered in B.C., 86,938 of which are second doses.

2:11 Millions of calls received as phone lines open for B.C. vaccination registration

The provincial government promised to do “better” after a Vancouver Coastal Health call centre was able to book only 369 vaccination appointments on Monday, the first day phone lines opened for seniors born in 1931 and earlier and Indigenous seniors born in 1956 and earlier.

Dix said that’s because VCH was the only authority that did not have a backup call centre in addition to the one provided by Telus.

1:43 Coronavirus variant case numbers and concern both rising in B.C.

Telus president Darren Entwistle said in a statement he is “incredibly sorry” for the frustrations that residents have experienced trying to connect to the call centres and the company can and will do better.

On Monday, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry suggested that the province may ease COVID-19 restrictions in the weeks ahead, but that some measures designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus will be around for some time.

— With files from Richard Zussman and The Canadian Press