BC health officials announce nearly 600 new COVID-19 cases

British Columbia health officials announced on Wednesday that there have been 584 new test-positive COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the province to 224,245.

In a written statement, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said that there are 3,458 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. Of the active cases, 193 individuals are currently hospitalized and 77 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.

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New cases and total active cases are broken down by health region as follows:

• Fraser Health: 172 new cases, 945 total active cases
• Vancouver Coastal Health: 180 new cases, 798 total active cases
• Interior Health: 92 new cases, 641 total active cases
• Northern Health: 31 new cases, 217 total active cases
• Island Health: 109 new cases, 856 total active cases
• Outside of Canada: No new cases, one total active case

BC health officials have not given an update on the number of Omicron variant cases in the province. The last update on Omicron suggested BC had 44 cases of the variant.

There have been seven new COVID-19-related deaths, leaving a total of 2,393 deaths in British Columbia.

To date, 86.7% (4,322,280) of eligible people five and older in BC have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 82.4% (4,107,920) have received a second dose.

From December 7 to 13, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 48.9% of cases, and from November 30 to December 13, they accounted for 72.0% of hospitalizations.

Past week cases (December 7 to 13) – Total 2,781

• Not vaccinated: 1,295 (46.6%)
• Partially vaccinated: 65 (2.3%)
• Fully vaccinated: 1,421 (51.1%)

Past two weeks cases hospitalized (November 30 to December 13) – Total 150

• Not vaccinated: 100 (66.7%)
• Partially vaccinated: 8 (5.3%)
• Fully vaccinated: 42 (28.0%)

Past week, cases per 100,000 population after adjusting for age (December 7 to 13) 

• Not vaccinated: 172.4
• Partially vaccinated: 34.3
• Fully vaccinated: 31.4

Past two weeks, cases hospitalized per 100,000 population after adjusting for age (November 30 to December 13)

• Not vaccinated: 22.0
• Partially vaccinated: 6.7
• Fully vaccinated: 0.9