B.C. is reporting 14 more deaths caused by COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.
The numbers released Wednesday (March 9) show six people died in Fraser Health, five in Island Health and three in Vancouver Coastal Health. Since the pandemic began, 2,929 British Columbians have died because of complications with COVID-19.
Hospitalizations are down slightly with 405 people in hospital and 58 in intensive care. Not everyone in hospital with COVID-19 is there because of their infection.
The province reported 274 new COVID infections with 84 in Interior Health, 77 in Island Health, 48 in Fraser Health, 36 in Vancouver Coastal Health. and 29 in Northern Health. Testing in B.C. remains limited so cases are likely underreported. Any positive cases recorded on rapid antigen tests must be self-reported to the BCCDC to be counted on official statistics.
As of March 7, people aged 60 and over can access one kit of free rapid tests at their local pharmacies. Individuals are limited to one kit per 28-day period.
There has been one new health-care facility outbreak at Luther Court in Island Health.
Vaccination rates in the province remain largely unchanged — 90.7 per cent of eligible British Columbians aged five and older have at least one dose of vaccine and 86.6 per cent have received their second dose. On booster doses, 58.2 per cent of eligible people have received their third dose.
Over the last week, fully vaccinated people have made up 81.3 per cent of new infections. Over the past two weeks, 69.6 per cent of people in hospital are fully vaccinated compared to 25.1 per cent who are unvaccinated.
Unvaccinated people are still far more likely to end up in hospital compared to people who are vaccinated, with rates of hospitalization at 27 per 100,000 in unvaccinated people compared to six per 100,000 in people who are fully vaccinated.
READ MORE: B.C. delays date on vaccine mandate for health-care professionals
@SchislerCole
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