Twenty new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the Northern Health region on Thursday – the highest single-day increase in new cases since May 21.
The number of active cases in the region jumped to 67, up from 52 on Wednesday, according to data released by the B.C. Ministry of Health. On Thursday, the B.C. Centre for Disease Control reported that three people were hospitalized with COVID in the Northern Health region, with two of those listed in intensive care.
No new COVID-related deaths were reported in the province on Thursday, leaving the B.C.’s death toll from the pandemic at 1,772 – including 158 residents of the Northern Health region.
Across B.C., more than 33,200 people were vaccinated on Wednesday as part of the Walk-In Wednesday campaign. COVID vaccine clinics, including the one located at the Prince George Conference and Civic Centre, welcomed people needing their first dose or eligible for the second dose to walk in without an appointment.
"From Vanderhoof to Victoria, from Chilliwack to Creston, we saw thousands of people throughout B.C. drop in for Walk-in Wednesday and do their part to get vaccinated," Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a press release. "With nearly 68 per cent of eligible people now fully vaccinated in our province, every dose we administer brings us closer to our goal. The best way to keep us all safe is to get vaccinated."
A total of 20,000 doses were set aside for walk-ins on Wednesday, and more than 80 per cent were used. Of those, 37.6 per cent were first doses, and more than 7,600 people got their first dose on Wednesday.
It was the highest percentage of first doses administered in B.C. clinics since July 10.
As of Thursday, 81.7 per cent of eligible British Columbians (ages 12 and up) had received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 68.4 per cent were fully vaccinated. A total of nearly 6.97 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the province, including 303,629 in the Northern Health region.
In the Prince George local health area, which includes Mackenzie and the Robson Valley, 74 per cent of eligible people had been vaccinated as of Aug. 2, and 58 per cent were fully vaccinated, according to B.C. CDC data. In the week of July 25 to July 31, five new cases were reported in the Prince George area.
The walk-in campaign came as the Delta variant of COVID-19 is fueling new outbreaks in B.C. A total of 402 new cases were reported province-wide on Thursday, and the number of active cases increased to 2,066.
"Our province is currently facing a wave of cases in the unvaccinated," provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said. "Events like Walk-in Wednesday are critical for making it even easier for people to get their vaccines. I am grateful to all the British Columbians who have rolled up their sleeves to get their COVID-19 vaccine - this simple act brings us one step closer to putting the pandemic behind us."
