B.C. records 150 new COVID-19 cases, highest in over six weeks

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – On the heels of a weekend of double-digit daily cases,, B.C. has recorded 150 new COVID-19 infections, the highest figure in over six weeks.

However, the number of people getting sick enough to be hospitalized due to the virus has remained relatively stable.

On Tuesday, the province reported 44 people in the hospital, keeping on pace with the past week, during which the number of hospitalizations has fluctuated between 43 and 53.

Meanwhile, there are 22 patients in the ICU, a figure not seen since July 6. There have been no COVID-related deaths in the past day.

Interior Health continues to be the hot spot in the region, with 95 new infections and 412 active cases.

Those figure are nearly double Fraser Health’s, where 32 new infections were recorded in the past day and there are 196 active cases.

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There are two active outbreaks in long-term care: One at Holyrood Manor and another at Nelson Jubilee Manor.

The province’s vaccination rates are slowly rising, with 62.3 per cent of eligible British Columbians having received both doses and 80.7 per cent have received at least one.

On Tuesday, B.C. announced an overhaul of its COVID-19 vaccine program with a particular focus on people who have not yet received any doses.

The latest data from the province shows less than five per cent of new COVID-19 cases are among fully vaccinated people, with officials noting unvaccinated people are at “significantly greater risk of severe outcomes.”

“Seventy-eight per cent of those hospitalized with COVID-19 are completely unvaccinated and a further 18 per cent have only received their first dose,” Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Tuesday, of data from June 15 to July 15, 2021.

According to the province, 15 of the 21 deaths in that timeframe were among unvaccinated British Columbians.

The province is shifting its focus away from larger, mass clinics, with plans to hold smaller clinics in communities where where COVID-19 vaccine rates remain low. That includes administering shots at the beach, Playland, farmers markets, and more.

In the coming weeks, there will also be a focus on public health clinics, outreach clinics, mobile clinics, and pop-up clinics.

The province says a total of 6,637,241 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines have been administered since the rollout began in December.

With files from Hana Mae Nassar