B.C. records 395 COVID-19 cases, no new deaths as infections continue upward march

VICTORIA – British Columbia health officials reported 395 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday with infections showing no signs of slowing down.

In a news release, they say there are no additional deaths and 23 of those infected are in intensive care.

They say seven long-term facilities have outbreaks including four in the Interior Health region.

Health officials announced circuit-breaker restrictions in the central Okanagan region last week amid a surge of COVID-19 cases driven by the highly infectious Delta variant.

Officials say 83 per cent of those eligible have now received their first COVID-19 vaccination shot while more than 72 per cent have had their second dose.

The recent outbreaks in the province have prompted health officials to shorten their recommended delay between vaccinations from 49 to 28 days to increase community-level protection.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 10, 2021.