7 more people die of COVID-19 in B.C., as 661 new cases confirmed

British Columbia announced 661 new cases of COVID-19 and seven more deaths on Wednesday.

In a written statement, the provincial Health Ministry said there are currently 5,791 active cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus in B.C.

A total of 288 people are in hospital, with 137 in intensive care.

Overall hospitalizations, which typically lag behind spikes and dips in new cases, are up by 10 per cent from last Wednesday, when 261 people were in hospital with the disease.

The number of patients in intensive care is up by about 6 per cent from 129 a week ago.

The provincial death toll from the disease is now 1,873 lives lost out of 176,480 confirmed cases to date.

The regional breakdown of deaths over the last 24 hours are:

• Two in Vancouver Coastal Health.

• Three in Interior Health.

• Two in Island Health.

As of Wednesday, 86.1 per cent of those 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 78.6 per cent a second dose.

So far, 7.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, including 3.6 million second doses.

The regional breakdown of new cases is as follows:

• 237 new cases in Fraser Health, which has 1,744 total active cases.

• 196 new cases in Interior Health, which has 1,536 total active cases.

• 99 new cases in Vancouver Coastal Health, which has 1,037 total active cases.

• 66 new cases in Island Health, which has 615 total active cases.

• 62 new cases in Northern Health, which has 849 total active cases.

• There is one new case among people who reside outside of Canada, a group which has 10 total active cases.

There are a total of 24 active outbreaks in assisted living and long-term care. Of those, 14 are in Interior Health, four are in Fraser Health, one is in the Island Health region and two are in Northern Health.

People who aren't fully vaccinated accounted for 76.5 per cent of cases from Sept. 7-13, and 87.3 per cent of hospitalizations from Aug. 31 through to Sept. 13.

The province says that after adjusting for age, people who are not vaccinated are 37.9 times more likely to be hospitalized because of COVID-19 than those with two shots.

Mandatory vaccines and proof

British Columbians over the age of 12 are now required to prove their vaccination status to enter some businesses and participate in some activities, including dining in restaurants, attending films and concerts or visiting a fitness facility.

Adults aged 19 and over also need to show a piece of government-issued photo ID along with their vaccination card.

Until Sept. 26, the immunization record card British Columbians receive when they get their shots will be accepted as proof in order "to give everyone time to get their B.C. vaccine card," according to the province.

After that date, people will need to present a digital or hard copy of a provincial vaccine card, which can be accessed through the provincial Health Gateway website.

All B.C. health-care workers must also be vaccinated to continue working as of Oct. 26 and this applies to students, physicians, residents and contractors.

On Monday, the province extended a vaccine mandate to include all health-care workers. Health officials had previously announced the mandate for workers in long-term care homes and assisted living facilities.

If your immunization record is wrong and your name doesn't match your other identification, you can call 1-833-838-2323 to have it corrected.

Tap here for more details on the vaccine card program.