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(Province of B.C. photo)
Three more deaths

New daily high for B.C. Covid cases with 1,013

Mar 31, 2021 | 4:51 PM

New Covid-19 cases continue to skyrocket in B.C.

The province reported 1,013 cases on Wednesday, a record daily high since the pandemic started.

The total number of cases also surpassed a milestone, with 100,048.

Of the new cases, 385 are in Vancouver Coastal Health, 458 in Fraser Health, 47 in Island Health, 64 in Interior Health, 60 in Northern Health and no new cases of people who reside outside of Canada.

There are 7,405 active cases in the province, with 11,468 people under public health monitoring as a result of identified exposure to known cases. A further 91,066 people who tested positive have recovered.

Of the active cases, 301 individuals are hospitalized, 80 in intensive care.

There was a delay in the sequencing analysis for variants of concern. As a result, the new cases for the last 24 hours are unavailable.

There have been three new Covid-19 related deaths, for a total of 1,458 in British Columbia.

There has been one new outbreak at Vernon Jubilee Hospital. The outbreak at Mission Memorial Hospital is now over.

To date, 756,080 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca-SII COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in B.C., 87,351 of which are second doses.Today, people 73 and older can book their appointments and, in a matter of a couple of weeks, those 65 and older will be eligible.

Indigenous peoples 18 and over, and individuals who are clinically extremely vulnerable and have received a letter identifying them as such, can also book their appointments.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said front-line workers who were to receive the AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD shot remain a priority.

“Right now, we are waiting on Health Canada’s recommendations to determine what adjustments we may need to make to this immunization stream as a result of the safety signal for those under 55. In the meantime, the current supply of AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine is being made available to people between the ages of 55 and 65 on the Lower Mainland – our highest transmission area,” Henry said.

On Thursday April 1, expanded visitation in all long-term care facilities throughout the province will get underway.

“If you are planning to visit your family member or friend, please remember that COVID-19 safety plans must continue to be followed, including wearing masks and staying away if you feel unwell,” Henry advised.

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