B.C. records new daily case record with 2,046 cases, active case count up by 1,486

VICTORIA — The province recorded a new daily case count record for COVID-19 today (Dec. 23), with 2,046 new cases in B.C.

Active cases also shot up in B.C, and the Ministry of Health says there are now 8,739 active cases of COVID-19 (up by 1,486).

Meantime, hospitalizations have not sky-rocketed, with 195 people currently in hospital (up by 8), and 75 in intensive care (up by 4).

Additionally, there are now 975 cases of the Omicron variant of concern confirmed in B.C, with 18 of those variant cases identified within Interior Health.

The new/active cases include:

• 741 new cases in Fraser Health
  • Total active cases: 2,825
• 880 new cases in Vancouver Coastal Health
  • Total active cases: 3,729
• 123 new cases in Interior Health
  • Total active cases: 699
• 53 new cases in Northern Health
  • Total active cases: 217
• 248 new cases in Island Health
  • Total active cases: 1,267
• one new case of a person who resides outside of Canada
  • Total active cases: two

In the last 24 hours, one new death has been reported in Island Health, for an overall total of 2,410. And there have been no new health-care facility outbreaks.

As of Thursday, (Dec. 23), 87.7 per cent of eligible people five and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 82.7 per cent have received their second dose.

In addition, 91.8 per cent of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, 89 per cent received their second dose and 17 per cent have received a third dose.