B.C. reports 1,846 new COVID-19 cases and 26 deaths over the weekend; Interior Health’s active cases drop

VICTORIA – B.C. reported 1,846 new cases of COVID-19 over a three-day period between Oct. 15 and 18, with 322 of those cases in Interior Health.

The active COVID-19 case count is 4,917 (down 211 from Friday) in B.C. and 777 (down by 40) in Interior Health. Of the provincial active cases, 360 are in hospital (down by seven), with 151 in intensive care (down by one).

The daily breakdown is as follows:

• Oct. 15 to 16: 753 new cases
• Oct. 16 to 17: 650 new cases
• Oct. 17 to 18: 443 new cases

Elsewhere, 737 new cases are reported in Fraser Health (2,039 active), 406 in Northern Health (880 active), 212 in Vancouver Coastal Health (642 active) and 169 in Island Health (521 active). There were no new cases of people who reside outside of Canada, although that active case count is at 58.

In the past 72 hours, 26 new deaths have been reported — five in Interior Health — for a provincial total of 2,081.

There have been four new healthcare facility outbreaks: three in Fraser Health (Queens Park Care Centre, Heritage Village, and Menno Terrace West) and one in Vancouver Coastal Health (Amica Lions Gate). The outbreak at Joseph Creek Care Village in Cranbrook has been declared over.

However, there are 22 active healthcare outbreaks in B.C., with four of them in Interior Health. Overlander Residential Care in Kamloops is still active but hasn’t increased its 28 total cases since Friday.

As of Monday (Oct. 18), 89.2 per cent (4,133,755) of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 83.4 per cent (3,865,096) have received their second.

Vaccine status

Between Oct. 8 and 14, B.C. reported 3,914 COVID-19 cases: 2,420 (61.8 per cent) were unvaccinated, 255 (6.5 per cent) were partially vaccinated and 1,239 (31.7 per cent were fully vaccinated). Per 100,000 population after adjusting for age, the unvaccinated population accounted for 268, partially vaccinated 74.2 and fully vaccinated 29.4 cases.

Over the past two weeks (Oct. 1 to 14), 465 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in B.C.: 320 (68.8 per cent) were unvaccinated, 27 (5.8 per cent) were partially vaccinated and 118 (25.4 per cent) were fully vaccinated.

Per 100,000 population after adjusting for age, the unvaccinated population accounted for 53.4, partially vaccinated 11.8, and fully vaccinated 2.7 hospitalizations.