B.C.’s COVID-19 case count dips to 444; active cases down by 237

Dec 22, 2020 | 4:12 PM Pete McIntyre

B.C. has seen its lowest daily COVID-19 case count in weeks.

According to Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, there were 444 new cases of the virus Tuesday (Dec. 22), including 78 cases within Interior Health.

The new cases bring the total case count in B.C. to 47,510, spread through the province as follows:

11,331 — Vancouver Coastal (up 79)
30,227 — Fraser Health (up by 256)
838 — Island Health (up by 9)
3,291 — Interior Health (up by 78)
1,621 — Northern Health (up by 22)
107 — Reside outside of Canada (unchanged)

Henry reports 9,481 active cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, down by 237 from Monday. There are 357 people in hospital, including 84 in intensive care.

Twelve more people have died from the virus, lifting B.C.’s death toll to 777.

The number of people considered fully recovered from COVID-19 is now 36,094, or 76 per cent of all recorded cases.

Henry says the number of people who have received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for COVID-19 is now 4,108.

The provincial state of emergency related to the pandemic, has been extended through the end of the day on Jan. 5, 2021.

Update on Interior Health numbers:

· IH is reporting 79 new cases since Monday, for a total of 3,391.

· 691 cases are active and on isolation.

· Thirty-one people are in hospital; seven of them in ICU.

· Total number of deaths in IH remains at 17.

Vaccinations:

Interior Health administered first COVID-19 vaccines in Kelowna and Kamloops today. See attached IB.

Note: There have been challenges with the Drop Box links. Photos of each event are attached.

Update on outbreaks:

· Big White in Kelowna has 96 cases linked to this outbreak.

· Outbreak declared at Heritage Retirement Residence in West Kelowna.

· Teck mining operations has 16 IH cases linked to the outbreak.

· McKinney Place long term care in Oliver has 74 cases: 54 residents and 20 staff. There remains seven deaths related to this outbreak.

· Village by the Station long-term care in Penticton remains at four cases total: two residents and two staff.

· Mountainview Village long-term care in Kelowna remains at 14 cases in total: seven residents and seven staff. There remains one death related to this outbreak.