One COVID death recorded in the Interior, eight in other B.C. regions

Dec 9, 2021 | 4:05 PM Liam Verster

A total of nine COVID-19 deaths were reported Thursday, including one in the Interior.

To date, 2,378 British Columbians have died due to the virus, including 295 in the Interior.

The Ministry of Health also reported 341 new COVID-19 cases in B.C. Thursday, 70 of which were located in the Interior.

There were 576 active cases of COVID-19 in the Interior, and 2,915 in all of B.C.

B.C.’s COVID hospitalizations fell to 220 Thursday, with 73 of those patients in intensive care.

The provincial COVID vaccination rate for B.C. residents aged 5 and over rose to 85.9 per cent for first doses and 82.1 for second jabs.

The rates for people aged 12 and over was up to 91.4 per cent for first doses, 88.3 per cent for second shots, and 12 per cent for booster shots.

The province notes that over the past week, 54 per cent of new cases were confirmed in people who had not received a COVID vaccine, while the fully vaccinated made up 42.3 per cent of new cases.

The unvaccinated accounted for 60.4 per cent of COVID hospitalizations over the past two weeks, while fully vaccinated patients made up 36.5 per cent of patients.

There were no new heath-care facility outbreaks announced Thursday. In all of B.C. there are five active outbreak sites, including the Ponderosa Lodge in Kamloops.