A COVID-19 vaccine is administered at a pop-up clinic in Vernon (photo by Liam Verster / Vernon Matters)

By Liam Verster

COVID Update for Sept. 24

One death recorded in the Interior as active COVID-19 case count rises

Sep 24, 2021 | 3:30 PM

Another Interior resident has died from COVID-19. The death reported Friday is the 222nd death linked to COVID-19 in the region.

The death was one of seven in B.C. Friday. Four were in the Fraser Health zone, one was in Northern Health, and one was in the Island Health region. A total of 1,922 British Columbians have died from the novel coronavirus.

Meantime, 177 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the Interior, bringing the active COVID-19 case count up to 1,268.

The new cases were part of 743 throughout B.C., and the provincial active COVID-19 case count is now 5,979.

The Ministry of Health reports that a total of 4,543 new cases were identified between Sept. 16 and 22. Of those cases , 3,057 or 67.3 per cent were unvaccinated people, 351 or 7.7 per cent of those cases were partially vaccinated, and the remaining 1,135 or 25 per cent were double dosed.

Safety First

Vernon RCMP urge parents not to allow kids to ride e-dirt bikes on roads

11h ago

$700K up to $1.4M

Rising costs double price of flood protection work at Vernon Water Reclamation Centre

11h ago

Abducted Four-Year Old

Amber Alert for West Kelowna child cancelled

17h ago

Hospitalizations from COVID-19 also continued its upward trend on Friday, as 319 British Columbians are in hospital, 149 of whom are in intensive care.

There have been 436 British Columbians admitted to hospital due to COVID-19 complications between Sept. 9 and 22. The unvaccinated made up a 322 or 73.9 per cent of those hospitalizations, there were 35 partially vaccinated patients making up 8 per cent, and the remaining 79 or 18.1 per cent of COVID patients were fully vaccinated.

To date, 87.5 per cent of British Columbians age 12 and over have received their first COVID-19 vaccination, while 80 per cent of eligible residents have received both jabs.

The province didn’t report any new health-care facility outbreaks on Friday, but did remove the David Lloyd Jones long-term care facility in Kelowna and the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital in Trail from the list of active sites. There are now 21 active outbreak facilities in B.C., 10 of which are located in the Interior.

Cottonwoods Care Centre long-term care in Kelowna has 39 cases: 28 residents and 11 staff, with six deaths connected tot he outbreak.
Village at Mill Creek assisted living/independent living in Kelowna has 13 cases: eight residents and five staff, with two deaths connected to the outbreak.
Hardy View Lodge long-term care in Grand Forks has six cases: one resident and five staff.
Spring Valley Care Centre long-term care in Kelowna has 15 cases: 11 residents and four staff, with three deaths connected to the outbreak.
Sun Pointe Village assisted living/independent living in Kelowna has 11 cases: nine residents and two staff, with two deaths connected to the outbreak.
Kamloops Seniors Village long-term care has 19 cases: 10 residents and nine staff, with one death connected to the outbreak.
Hillside Village long-term care in Salmon Arm has nine cases: three residents and six staff, with one death connected tot he outbreak.
The Hamlets at Westsyde long-term care in Kamloops has six cases: three residents and three staff.
Joseph Creek Village long-term care in Cranbrook has 14 cases: nine residents and five staff, with two deaths connected to the outbreak.
Overlander Long-Term Care in Kamloops has five cases: three residents and two staff.