New COVID-19 cases, deaths the lowest in several weeks

Provincial health officials confirmed another 624 cases of COVID-19 on Friday, and 11 additional deaths.

The daily numbers from Dr. Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer, and Health Minister Adrian Dix see total, provincewide cases rise to 45,400, and total deaths increase to 724.

Friday's update brings to end a week in which new infections appeared to plateau somewhat — for the first time since early November, the province reported fewer than 700 cases every day.

Deaths continue to rise sharply in what is already the deadliest month of B.C.'S pandemic so far, but the 11 overnight deaths reported Friday are the fewest this month.

There has been one new community outbreak, health officials said, at Rossdown Natural Foods. But there were no new health care outbreaks reported Friday, a great relief to public health teams working to suppress community transmission in long-term and acute care facilities, where COVID-19 has been most fatal.

Immunizations are continuing apace.

The province administered another 1,376 doses of the Pfizer-biontech vaccine to frontline health care workers, bringing total vaccinations in the province to 2,592.

These numbers will begin to increase rapidly next week when B.C. health authorities outside Metro Vancouver receive their first vaccine deliveries and begin to administer shots.

There are now 9,978 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, with 356 people being treated in hospital, including 92 in critical or intensive care.

Another 10,211 people are under active public health monitoring due to close contact with a known coronavirus case.

A further 33,589 people who tested positive have recovered from the virus.