COVID-19 cases show downward trend

New COVID-19 case numbers were down in both Interior Health and the province on Thursday.

The Health Ministry recorded 2,554 new infections in B.C., which was a decrease of 305 from Wednesday.

Case numbers have generally declined since hitting the provincial record of 4,383 on Dec. 30, 2021.

There are 36,049 active cases of COVID-19 in the province with 534 people in hospital (up by 34) and 102 in intensive care (no change).

Interior Health had 462 new cases (down by 72) with active cases now at 4,882 (up by 254).

Seven more people have died from the virus for an overall total of 2,462. Four of the deaths were in Fraser Health, two in Island Health and one in Northern Health.

There have been five new health-care facility outbreaks at Lakeview Lodge, Hamlets in Vernon, Brocklehurst Gemstone (Interior Health), Dufferin Place and Beacon Hill Villa (Island Health). The outbreak at Aberdeen Hospital (Island Health) has been declared over for a total of 53 facilities with ongoing outbreaks.

As of today, 88.9 per cent of eligible people five and older in B.C. have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, 83.3 per cent have had two jabs, and 29.2 per cent of those 12 and older have had three doses.

From Jan. 5–11, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 21 per cent of cases. From Dec. 29 to Jan. 11, they accounted for 34.5 per cent of hospitalizations.