COVID-19: B.C. reports 45 new cases, no new deaths

British Columbia reported 45 new cases of COVID-19 and no new deaths on Friday.

The province’s seven-day average for new cases, which has ticked slightly upward every day this week, sat at 42.

Of the new cases, just eight were in the Fraser Health region, 14 were in the Vancouver Coastal Health region and 19 were in the Interior Health region. There were no new cases reported in the Northern or Island health regions.

Active cases also edged upward for the third day in a row to 661.

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More than 3.44 million British Columbians — 78.6 of those eligible and 70.8 per cent of B.C.’s entire population — have had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

More than 1.9 million people — 41.3 per cent of those eligible and 37.2 per cent of B.C.’s population — have had two doses.

There were 73 people in hospital, 19 of whom were in critical or intensive care. The province was also managing three acute care outbreaks, at Laurel Place at Surrey Memorial Hospital, Eagle Ridge Hospital and Royal Inland Hospital.

Since the start of the pandemic, B.C. has reported 148,031 cases of COVID-19, while 1,760 people have died.