Interior recorded 80 COVID-19 cases as provincial hospitalizations rose

Interior Health closed out the week by again having the highest concentration of new COVID-19 cases.

Of the 218 cases confirmed in British Columbia, 80 came from the Interior.

Island Health had the second most new cases Friday with 47, followed by Fraser Health at 45.

There were two deaths linked to the virus Friday, one in Vancouver Coastal Health and one in Northern Health. To date, 2,983 British Columbians have died due to COVID-19.

The province also saw the number of patients in hospital with COVID-19 rise Friday.

As of March 25 there were 260 British Columbians in hospital with the virus, an increase of five from the previous day. Of those patients, 50 were in intensive care, marking a decrease of two from the day before.

The provincial COVID-19 vaccination rates for residents age five and over were recorded at 90.8 per cent for first doses and 87.2 per cent for second jabs Friday.

Additionally, 57.3 per cent of British Columbians age 12 and over had received their booster shot.

There were three new health-care facility outbreaks confirmed in the Island Health region. As of Friday there were seven facilities classified as active outbreak sites, with the sole Interior facility on the list being the Hillside Village nursing home in Salmon Arm.