University Pharmacy in Vancouver after all available appointments to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine were booked, April 1, 2021. Vaccine supplies at many pharmacies ran out this week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

B.C. sees decline in hospitalizations, 1,001 new COVID-19 cases Friday

462 in hospital, 160 in intensive care, four more deaths

B.C.’s persistently high COVID-19 infection rate continued Friday with 1,001 new cases reported, but the number of people in hospital declined from a record 502 to 462 in the past 24 hours.

There were 160 people in intensive care, down one from Thursday, and the province has 8,842 active cases. The daily case total comes from 10,753 test results recorded for April 23.

The latest results come as the province implements new non-essential travel orders, restricting travel between three zones, the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, the B.C. Interior and Vancouver Island, with road checks and fines available.

“With this order, the province is also working with partners to increase highway signage along the border with Alberta, with B.C. Ferries to restrict non-essential vehicle passage and with tourism and accommodation industry associations to support operators and businesses in declining bookings from outside of their regional zones,” provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a statement.

“Since we last reported, we have had 215 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 626 new cases in the Fraser Health region, 26 in the Island Health region, 93 in the Interior Health region, 39 in the Northern Health region and two new cases of people who reside outside of Canada.

“There have been four new COVID-19 related deaths, for a total of 1,554 deaths in British Columbia. Our condolences are with the family, friends and caregivers of the people who have died as a result of COVID-19.”

B.C. health authorities reported 1,027 new cases on Saturday, 933 Sunday, 1,000 on Monday, 849 on Tuesday, 862 Wednesday and 1,006 on Thursday, adding up to a slow decrease in the seven-day rolling average after it reached record highs last week.

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