B.C. records 564 new Covid-19 cases, including 46 variant cases

Mar 4, 2021 | 3:09 PM Pete McIntyre

B.C. has recorded 564 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday (Mar. 4), with transmission continuing at a high level in the Lower Mainland.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry provided the information in a briefing Thursday afternoon.

Henry noted 36 of the new cases occurred in Interior Health.

The new cases bring the provincial total to 82,473, spread out across B.C. as follows:

19,055 — Vancouver Coastal (up by 168)
48,256 — Fraser Health (up by 279)
2,488 — Island Health (up by 35)
7,530 — Interior Health (up by 36)
4,733 — Northern Health (up by 46)
161 — Reside outside of Canada (unchanged)

Henry said 46 new cases are considered variants of concern, raising the number of variant cases to 246. Sixteen of the variant cases remain active. Two-hundred-thirty-eight of the 246 variant cases have been located in the Lower Mainland, with only two in Interior Health.

There are a total of 4,743 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C., up 89 from Wednesday. There are 248 people in hospital with the virus and 63 in intensive care.

Four more people have died of COVID-19, raising the B.C. death toll to 1,376.

A total of 8,659 people are being actively monitored due to direct COVID-19 contact.

There are 76,289 people considered fully recovered from the virus, or 93 per cent of all recorded cases.

Meantime, Henry noted 298,851 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to this point, including 86,746 second doses.

Update on Interior Health outbreaks:

· Kelowna General Hospital has seven cases: six patients and one staff, with two deaths connected to this outbreak.

· The Florentine in Merritt has two resident cases.

· Highridge/Singh House group home in Kamloops has 13 cases: five residents and eight staff.

· Westsyde Care Residence group home in Kamloops has 30 cases: 17 residents and 13 staff, with two deaths connected to this outbreak.

· Brocklehurst Gemstone long-term care in Kamloops has 32 cases: 24 residents and eight staff, with two deaths connected to this outbreak.