B.C. has gone six days with no known COVID-19 death for the first time since last August, when the province went 11 days without such a fatality.
The good news comes as the province also saw slight declines in serious infections, with fewer COVID-19 patients in hospitals and in intensive care units (ICU).
The number of those hospitalized in B.C. with the disease that spawned a global pandemic fell by one overnight, to 65, with 11 of those in ICU – three fewer than a day ago.
The last time B.C. had fewer COVID-19 patients in hospital was on October 2, when there were 63 such people. The last time there were fewer COVID-19 patients in ICU was on September 11, when there were 10 individuals fighting for their lives in those units.
B.C.'s death toll stays at 1,760.
Another 41 people were detected in the past 24 hours as having COVID-19, however, showing that the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, continues to spread in the province.
More than 98.3%, or 145,817, of the 148,228 people known to have contracted COVID-19 in B.C. are considered by the province to have recovered because they have gone 10 days after first feeling symptoms, and are therefore thought to not be infectious.
The vast majority of the 639 people now actively fighting COVID-19 infections in B.C. have been told to self-isolate.
The 639 active infections, by health region, include:
• 165 in Fraser Health (25.8%);
• 258 in Vancouver Coastal Health (40.4%);
• 157 in Interior Health (24.6%);
• 28 cases in Northern Health (4.4%);
• 24 in Island Health (3.8%); and
• seven people who reside outside B.C.
The province has now vaccinated 3,674,169 British Columbians, with 2,191,315 of those having had two doses of vaccine. All of these shots are in individuals aged 12 years or older, and health officials pin that as being 79.3% of that age group with one shot, and 47.3% of that age group with two jabs.
Health officials have provided vaccine to 3,475,111 British Columbians aged 18 and older, with 2,185,443 of those getting two shots. They pin the percentage of that age group with one shot as being 80.3%, and the percentage of that age group with two shots as being 50.5%.
In the past day, 5,766 British Columbians received their first dose of vaccine, while 61,284 others received second doses, according to government data.
The province said 7,127 doses of vaccine have been provided to people who do not normally live in B.C., or to those who have died. That number, combined with the jabs given to alive British Columbians, total 5,865,484 doses of vaccine given since the first COVID-19 vaccine jab in an arm happened on December 16.
Outbreaks at Eagle Ridge Hospital in Port Moody, and Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops have been declared over.
That leaves Laurel Place at Surrey Memorial Hospital in Surrey as the only health facility outbreak in the province.
