B.C. reports more than 1,200 new COVID-19 cases for 2nd consecutive day

British Columbia reported more than 1,200 new COVID-19 cases for the second consecutive day, Friday.

In a written statement, health officials reported 1,262 new cases and two additional deaths.

4:13 The latest COVID-19 infection rate numbers for April 9, 2021

It brought the seven-day moving average for new cases to a new record high of 1,083.

New infections in the Lower Mainland continued to drive case numbers.

There were 358 new cases in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 638 in the Fraser Health region, 54 in the Island Health region, 132 in the Interior Health region and 79 in the Northern Health region.

There were 9,574 active cases, the highest since Dec. 31, while an additional 15,673 people were isolating due to possible exposure.

B.C. reported 332 people in hospital, 102 of whom were in critical or intensive care.

The province says it has now administered more than one million doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

About 18.2 per cent of B.C.’s population, 937,413 people have had at least one dose, while 87,606 people have also had a second dose.

Anyone over 65 or who has received a letter designating them as clinically extremely vulnerable may now register online for their vaccine.

The province has confirmed a total of 4,111 cases of COVID-19 variants of concern, including 3,082 of the B.1.1.7 (U.K.) variant and 974 of the P.1 (Brazil) variant.

B.C. has recorded a total of 109,540 cases and 1,495 deaths.

On Thursday, the province issued a new order requiring businesses that have three employees who test positive for COVID with evidence of workplace transmission to close for 10 days.

The province also said that COVID-19 variants of concern have become so dominant it will proceed as if every test-positive case is one of the more transmissible variants.