Five COVID-19 deaths recorded in Interior as active cases drop for fifth day

Five of the 11 COVID-19 deaths recorded in B.C. Friday were in the Interior Health region.

Four of the deaths were in Vancouver Coastal Health, while the other two were residents of Fraser Health. A total of 1,888 British Columbians have now died due to COVID-19. Of that total, 219 of the fatal cases have been in the interior.

Meanwhile, the Interior saw its active COVID-19 cases fall for the fifth day in a row, dropping to 1,499 cases Friday.

The decline in cases comes despite 183 new infections in the Interior on Friday.

The provincial data shows there were 768 cases reported across B.C. on Friday, bringing the provincial active case count up to 6,031.

The province reports that between Sept. 9 and 15, a total of 4,804 new COVID-19 cases were identified in B.C. Of those cases, 3,288, or 68.4 per cent, were people who had not received a COVID-19 vaccine, 358, or 7.5 per cent, were partially vaccinated, and the remaining 1,158, or 24.1 per cent, were fully vaccinated individuals.

Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 increased on Friday, as 298 British Columbians are in hospital, 135 of whom are in intensive care.

There are 53 patients in hospitals in Interior Health with 46 of those in critical care.

Provincial data shows that B.C. hospitals admitted 384 patients with COVID-19 between Sept. 2 and 15. The unvaccinated accounted for 310, or 80.7 per cent, of those patients, while 21, or 5.5 per cent of them, were partially vaccinated, and the last 53, or 13.8 per cent of the patients, were people who had received both jabs.

The province also reports that, as of Friday, Sept. 17, 86.5 per cent of British Columbians age 12 and over have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 78.9 per cent of eligible residents have received two shots.

The province notes that no new health-care facility outbreaks have been declared, but three are now considered over, however none of them are in the Interior, where 12 of the 20 active outbreak sites are located.

• Brookhaven Care Centre in West Kelowna: 10 residents, seven staff, three deaths
• Cottonwoods Care Centre long-term care in Kelowna: 21 residents, 10 staff, six deaths
• David Lloyd Jones long-term care in Kelowna: 41 residents, 14 staff, seven deaths
• Village at Mill Creek assisted living/independent living in Kelowna: eight residents, five staff, two deaths
• Hardy View Lodge long-term care in Grand Forks: one resident, four staff
• Spring Valley Care Centre long-term care in Kelowna: 11 residents, four staff, three deaths
• Sun Pointe Village assisted living/independent living in Kelowna: eight residents, two staff, two deaths
• Kamloops Seniors Village long-term care: 10 residents, nine staff, one death
• Hillside Village long-term care in Salmon Arm: three residents, five staff, one death
• The Hamlets at Westsyde long-term care in Kamloops: three residents, three staff
• Joseph Creek Village long-term care in Cranbrook: nine residents, five staff, two deaths
• Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital – psychiatry unit in Trail: two patients