Interior hits triple digits for new COVID-19 cases to cap off the week

For the first time all week, Interior Health recorded new COVID-19 cases in the triple digits, as 142 cases were added in the region.

The new cases, which were part of 497 recorded throughout B.C. Friday, brought the active case count for the Interior up to 657.

The Ministry of Health reports that there were three more deaths in B.C., though none were located in the Interior, and a total of 2,293 British Columbians have now died due to the virus.

It was also noted that COVID hospitalizations rose to 358 Friday, with 109 patients in intensive care.

The Ministry of Health reported that COVID-19 vaccination rates had slight gains Friday, as first doses rose to 90.8 per cent and second dose rates hit 87 per cent.

Interior Health reports the outbreaks at Brocklehurst Gemstone, Millar College of the Bible and Vernon Christian School and King’s Christian School have been declared over, and the two schools have re-opened.

As of Friday there were three active health-care facility outbreaks in the Interior.

• Village by the Station long-term care in Penticton: 27 resident and 14 staff cases, three deaths
• Sun Pointe Village long-term care in Kelowna: seven resident and three staff cases
• Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops:
  • Unit 5S: 21 patient and eight staff/other cases, two deaths
  • Unit 7N: five patient and one staff/other cases, one death
  • Unit 6S: 10 patient cases
  • Unit 5N: six patient and five staff/other cases