B.C. surpasses 200,000 COVID-19 cases; 715 new cases in the province and 137 in Interior Health

VICTORIA — B.C. has hit a grim milestone in the COVID-19 pandemic today (Oct. 21).

As the province reported 715 new cases of COVID-19 for Thursday (Oct. 21), with 137 of them in Interior Health, B.C. surpassed 200,000 total COVID-19 cases.

The active COVID-19 case count increased to 4,965 in B.C. (up by 77), and the active count in Interior Health raised slightly to 808 (up by 13). Of the provincial active cases, 377 are in hospital – up by seven since Thursday – with 136 of them in intensive care (down by three). The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.

Elsewhere, there were 285 new COVID-19 cases reported in Fraser Health (1,971 active), 172 in Northern Health (937), 60 in Vancouver Coastal Health (686) and 61 in Island Health (504). There were no new cases from people who reside outside of Canada, although that active total remains at 59.

In the past 24 hours, four new COVID-19 deaths were reported, for an overall total of 2,096. None of the new deaths were in Interior Health.

B.C. declared two new healthcare facility outbreaks – at Deni House in Williams Lake (Interior Health) and Bulkley Valley Dirstrict Hospital (Northern Health) – for a total of 26 active outbreaks, with five of them in Interior Health. The outbreak at Overlander Residential Care in Kamloops is still active.

As of Thursday (Oct. 21), 89.4 per cent (4,141,865) of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 83.8 per cent (3,883,585) have received their second.