B.C. Covid update Tuesday: 697 cases

British Columbia saw another slight decline in Covid-19 cases Tuesday.

The province reported 697 cases, with 65 of those in the Interior Health region (9.3 per cent of total).

B.C.’s seven-day average going into May 4 was 772 cases a day.

Elsewhere, there were 142 new cases in Vancouver Coastal Health (20.4 per cent), 456 in Fraser Health (65.4 per cent), 19 in Island Health (2.7 per cent), 14 in the Northern Health region (2.0 per cent) and one new case of a person who resides outside of Canada.

There are 7,161 active cases with 486 people hospitalized with Covid-19, 173 in intensive care.

There has been one new COVID-related death, for a total of 1,597 in B.C.

The outbreak at Cottonwoods Care Centre in Kelowna is now over after 29 cases: 26 residents and three staff, with two residents passing away.

An outbreak is declared over when two incubation periods, or 28 days, have passed from the last onset of symptoms in a resident.

To date, 1,910,162 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines have been administered in B.C., 92,244 of which are second doses.

To book a vaccine, the first step is to register on the Get Vaccinated website or by calling 1 833 838-2323. Everyone 18 and older is able to register.

Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a statement with the additional vaccine supply now available, the province is accelerating vaccine delivery to people throughout the province to get vaccines into arms as soon as possible.

“Today, we are adding pregnant persons 16 and older to those who are eligible to book their vaccine. If you are pregnant, this is your time. Please register, then call 1 833 383-2323 and let them know you are pregnant to book your appointment (online booking for pregnant persons is not available at this time),” Henry and Dix stated.

Update on outbreaks:

·        Sandalwood Retirement Resort independent living in Kelowna has 28 cases: 26 residents and two staff, with one death connected to the outbreak.

·        Orchard Haven long-term care in Keremeos has two cases: one resident and one staff.

·        Spring Valley long-term care in Kelowna has 24 cases: 19 residents and five staff.