B.C. health officials detected 54 new COVID-19 infections in the past day – the highest daily total since July 8, one week ago.
Counts for new cases during the week had declined to as few as 30 on July 12, and they remain significantly below totals a month ago, when it was common for new case counts to be above 100.
More than 98.3%, or 145,859, of the 148,282 people known to have contracted COVID-19 in B.C. are considered by the province to have recovered because they have gone 10 days after first feeling symptoms, and are therefore thought to not be infectious.
The number of those in B.C. actively fighting COVID-19 infections rose by 11 overnight, to 650, with more than 90% of those being advised to self-isolate.
The 650 active infections, by health region, include:
• 168 in Fraser Health (25.8%);
• 258 in Vancouver Coastal Health (39.7%);
• 161 in Interior Health (24.8%);
• 28 cases in Northern Health (4.3%);
• 29 in Island Health (4.5%); and
• six people who reside outside B.C.
The number of those actively battling infections who have been hospitalized fell by two overnight, to 63, which is the lowest number since October 2, when there were also 63 people in B.C. hospitals with COVID-19. The last time there were fewer such patients in B.C. hospitals was on September 25, when there were 62 such patients.
Unfortunately, the number of those sick enough to be in intensive care units (ICU) rose by one, to 12.
The province had been enjoying a six-day streak with no known COVID-19 deaths. That has ended, as one COVID-19 patient has died, raising the province's death toll from the pandemic to 1,761.
Another 6,919 British Columbians received their first jab of vaccine in the past day, while 62,503 others received second jabs in order to be fully vaccinated.
In total, the province said 3,681,088 people have now had at least one shot of vaccine, while 2,253,818 of those are fully vaccinated.
All British Columbians who have been vaccinated are at least 12 years old, and government officials' math holds that 79.4% of this age group have now had at least one shot, and that 48.6% of this age group are fully vaccinated.
For those aged 18 years and older, there have been 3,481,176 British Columbians with at least one shot of vaccine, with 2,246,289 of those having had two shots. This translates into 80.5% of this age group having had one dose of vaccine, while 51.9% are now fully vaccinated, according to the government.
The government separates out, and tracks how many doses it says have gone to people who reside outside B.C. or have gone to British Columbians that it knows have died. That figure is 7,158, so it is saying that its health officials have administered 5,942,064 doses in total.
The only existing healthcare facility outbreak at in B.C. remains at Laurel Place at Surrey Memorial Hospital in Surrey.
