B.C. Covid update: 1,236 new cases over weekend, 13 deaths

Feb 8, 2021 | 3:31 PM Pete McIntyre

British Columbia continues to hold steady on its new Covid-19 cases, with 1,236 over the weekend, or an average of 412 a day.

Interior Health had 153 new cases over the three days, and there were 13 new deaths.

On Saturday, 428 new cases were recorded, with 465 on Sunday, and 343 on Monday, pushing the overall total 70,952

Case total by health region:

266 Vancouver Coastal Health
601 Fraser Health
86 Island Health
152 Interior Health
131 Northern Health

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry thanked people for staying at home with their families for Super Bowl, and urged people to “stay local and not travel” for the upcoming Family Day long weekend.

“Be a tourist in your home town. Book a night at your local hotel with your family, order dinner from a favourite restaurant, or go outside and explore,” Henry said at Monday’s update.

B.C. has 3,976 active Covid-19 cases, with 234 people in hospital and 69 in critical or intensive care.

Health Minister Adrian Dix noted the hospitalizations have improved compared to early January when it was at 381 people, allowing beds to be used for other health care purposes.

Currently, 6,900 people are being monitored due to Covid exposure and 65,605 are considered recovered from the virus.

The 13 new deaths bring the total to 1,259.

Three of the deaths are in Interior Health for a total of 81: One at Sunnybank long-term care in Oliver and two in the community/hospital.

Dr. Henry said 154,496 have now received the first dose of a Covid vaccine, with 12,111 receiving two doses.

She said each week this month, they expect increased available vaccine supply and she hopes to fully start mass vaccination clinics in early March.

“People over age 80, you will receive information to know where your clinic will be, or how you will receive the vaccine. There will be multiple ways we will be contacting people, in every community.”

Henry said there are now 40 confirmed cases of variants (3 active cases): 25 of U.K. variant (1 case in Interior Health) and 15 of South African, all in the Vancouver or Fraser regions.

Update on IH outbreaks:

· Westsyde Care Residence group home in Kamloops has 26 cases: 14 residents and 12 staff. There are 24 active cases.

· Royal Inland Hospital has 102 cases: 36 patients and 66 staff, with one death connected to this outbreak. There are 46 active cases.

· Cariboo Memorial Hospital has 14 cases: 12 staff and two patients. There are no active cases.

· Brocklehurst Gemstone long-term care in Kamloops has 25 cases: 17 residents and eight staff, with two deaths connected to this outbreak. There are two active cases.

· Sunnybank long-term care in Oliver has 38 cases: 27 residents, 11 staff/other, with six deaths connected to this outbreak. There are eight active cases.

· Creekside Landing long-term care in Vernon has 40 cases: 25 residents and 15 staff, with one death connected to this outbreak. There are four active cases.

· Noric House long-term care in Vernon has 68 cases: 39 residents and 29 staff, with nine deaths connected to this outbreak. There are 12 active cases.

· Heritage Square long-term care in Vernon has 68 cases: 47 residents and 21 staff, with nine deaths connected to this outbreak. There are six active cases.