B.C. records 10 COVID deaths, 759 new cases

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – There have been 10 new COVID-related deaths in B.C. in the past day, most of which were in the Fraser Health region.

Seven deaths were recorded there, while two more lives were lost in Vancouver Coastal Health and another person died in Island Health.

The province recorded 759 new infections Wednesday, including 233 in Interior Health and 214 in Fraser Health. Northern Health saw 129 new cases, while there were 101 in Vancouver Coastal Health, and 79 in Island Health. The remaining cases were in people who live outside of Canada.

Of the 5,458 active cases in B.C., the province says 324 are in the hospital, down from 332 on Tuesday. However, the number of people in critical care has risen slightly from 155 to 157.

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On Tuesday, B.C.’s provincial health officer said several unimmunized, young, pregnant people were among those in the ICU.

“COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate,” Dr. Bonnie Henry warned, urging people who are pregnant, thinking of becoming pregnant, or breastfeeding be vaccinated against the virus.

Over the course of the pandemic, Henry says 40 pregnant people have been in ICU, “and a good proportion of those have been in the last few months.”

“While it is true that the clinical trials did not include pregnant people, we also know a lot more about these vaccines and how [they are] safe and how they work in people who are pregnant and breastfeeding people over the last year, where tens of thousands of pregnant and breastfeeding people have been immunized.”

Related article: Pregnant, unvaccinated people urged to get COVID shots

There are currently 23 outbreaks in long-term and acute care, as well as assisted or independent living facilities:

Long-term care: Northcrest Care Centre, Westminster House, Menno Terrace East (Fraser Health), Arbutus Care Centre, Louis Brier Home and Hospital (Vancouver Coastal Health), Village at Mill Creek – second floor, Cottonwoods Care Centre, Brookhaven Care Centre, Spring Valley Care Centre, Kamloops Seniors Village, Hillside Village, The Hamlets at Westsyde, Joseph Creek Care Village, Overlander (Interior Health), Jubilee Lodge (Northern Health) and Victoria Chinatown Care Centre (Island Health)

Acute care: Chilliwack General Hospital (Fraser Health), Fort St. John Hospital (Northern Health) and Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (Interior Health)

Assisted or independent living: Sunset Manor (Fraser Health), David Lloyd Jones, Sun Pointe Village and Hardy View Lodge (Interior Health)

On the vaccine front, the province says 7,057 British Columbians received their first dose in the past day, while 7,123 received their second.

As it stands, 87.1 per cent of people in B.C. aged 12 and up have gotten at least one dose and 79.7 per cent have had both.

With files from Nikitha Martins and Marcella Bernardo