COVID-19: B.C. reports 555 new cases, 11 deaths

British Columbia reported 555 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, along with 11 additional deaths.

The update lifted the province’s seven-day average for new cases to 520. The figure has been steadily edging upward since hitting a fourth-wave low of 477 on Friday.

Of the new cases, 197 were in the Fraser Health region, 50 were in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 114 were in the Interior Health region, 106 were in the Northern Health region and 88 were in the Island Health region.

Officials reported 404 active cases in hospital, 117 of whom were in critical or intensive care. There were 4,321 active cases province-wide.

2:11 Dr. Bonnie Henry on COVID-19 vaccine booster: 8 weeks min., 4-6 months optimal

Officials reported three new health-care facility outbreaks: one at Kalmoops’ Royal Inland Hospital and two in the Fraser Health region ad the George Derby Centre and Dufferin Care Centre.

Nearly 4.2 million people, 90.5 per cent of those eligible, have had one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Of them, 4 million, or 86.4 per cent of those eligible, have had a second dose.

People who were not fully vaccinated accounted for 63.1 per cent of cases over the last week and 70.8 per cent of hospitalizations over the past two weeks.

B.C. health officials say the province is due to receive a shipment of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine next week.

That vaccine is expected to be offered to health-care workers who have yet to be immunized, and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has suggested it may be a better option for people who are hesitant about the Pfizer and Moderna shots.

As of Tuesday, 3,071 B.C. health-care workers remained on unpaid leave after opting not to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Since the start of the pandemic, B.C. has reported 210,758 cases, while 2,234 people have died.