COVID-19: Another 593 infections reported in B.C., along with no new deaths

Another 593 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in British Columbia on Tuesday along with no additional deaths.

Of the new cases, 128 were in the Interior Health region, 68 cases were in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 203 were in the Fraser Health region, 107 were in Island Health, and 87 were in Northern Health.

2:11 Low vaccination rate behind the Northern Health’s COVID-19 crisis

After remaining largely unchanged over the weekend, the number of people in hospital with the disease rose by 19 to 345, according to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control’s COVID-19 dashboard. Of those patients, 144 are in intensive care.

Since the start of the pandemic, B.C. has reported more than 190,000 total cases of COVID-19 and 1,983 deaths. On Monday, the province announced 10 deaths over the previous 72 hours.

1:07 Visitors to long-term care facilities in B.C. must show proof of vaccination

There are 5,937 active COVID-19 cases in the province, a decline of 49 from Monday.

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The province said 88.3 per cent of people eligible British Columbians 12 and older have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 81.7 per cent have received two doses.

People who are not fully vaccinated accounted for 70.7 per cent of cases from Sept. 27 to Oct. 3 and 78.1 per cent of hospitalizations from Sept. 20 to Oct. 3.

The numbers came after a number of announcements around COVID-19 vaccination on Tuesday.

3:14 B.C.’s Ministry of Education convening committee to discuss mandatory vaccines

The province announced that public service employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Nov. 26.

Visitors to long-term care and assisted living facilities will have to show their B.C. vaccine card as proof of immunization starting Oct. 12. Visitors to acute care settings will have to show proof of vaccination starting Oct. 26.

A third dose of COVID-19 vaccine will be offered to around100,000 “moderately to severely” immunocompromised residents, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said.

Health Minister Adrian Dix said B.C.’s education ministry is bringing together a committee to make a decision on COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

— with files from Elizabeth McSheffrey and Simon Little