There are 82 active cases of COVID-19 in the Island Health region, including 11 reported today. That number includes 16 in the central island region, a decrease of one since yesterday, along with 44 in the south and 22 in the north. There were 702 COVID-19 tests done in the Island Health region in the past 24 hours.
There are eight people hospitalized with the virus and two in ICU in Island Health, according to the B.C. government’s COVID-19 dashboard. No new virus-related deaths were confirmed in the health region. Island Health declared an outbreak at Saanich Peninsula Hospital over.
B.C. recorded 683 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. There are 7,803 active cases of COVID-19 in the province — up 252 since yesterday. That number includes 374 people in hospital and 76 in critical care. There were eight deaths from COVID-19 since yesterday. The province’s seven day rolling average for new cases is 482.
The province vaccinated 3,483 people yesterday, for a total of 17,510 — including doses of the newly approved Moderna vaccine, in recent days.
“We’ve had the first immunizations in some of our more at-risk remote and rural communities, including some of our First Nations communities across British Columbia. It’s a very happy moment for all of us,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer.
An amended provincial public health order means businesses must cease alcohol sales at 8 p.m. on New Years Eve.
“Alcohol limits our inhibitions. What can be seen as quiet dinner with our household or a drink with a friend, can too easily get out of control and sadly we have seen that happen even in the past few weeks,” said Henry.
There are 9,364 people under active public health monitoring as a result of exposure to the virus, according to Henry.
