On a day when B.C. Premier John Horgan unveiled a plan to lift a spate of COVID-19 restrictions starting July 1, the province recorded its lowest number of new infections since early August.
The two phenomena are linked, with Horgan saying that COVID-19 data trending in the right direction is what has prompted his government to move ahead with its planned loosening of health orders.
Some of this good news was that health officials detected 29 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, which is the lowest total since August 4, when there were 28 new cases.
The province also recorded no new deaths for the first time since June 22.
The number of tests that health officials conduct has been dropping, but with only 29 out of the 3,369 tests being positive, the province's positive-test rate has fallen to 0.86% – the first time that daily rate has been below 1%, since last summer.
There are now 110 people in hospital with COVID-19 – three more than yesterday. With three fewer people in ICU, compared with yesterday, B.C. now has 34 people with those serious health needs – the lowest number since June 24.
The number of those actively infected in B.C. fell in the 46th consecutive provincial data update, to 876, which is the lowest number since August 21, when there were 824 people actively battling COVID-19.
More than 98.2%, or 144,931 of the 147,578 people known to be infected with COVID-19 in B.C. have now recovered. The province's death toll remains at 1,754.
Health officials in the past day administered another 55,086 doses of vaccine, with 6,816 of those going to unvaccinated people, and the remaining 48,270 being needed second doses.
In total, the province has given 4,941,795 doses of vaccine to 3,573,331 people, with 1,368,464 of those getting two doses.
Provincial health officer Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix's calculations are that this translates into 78.3% of all adults in B.C. and 77.0% of those aged 12 years and older having had at least one dose of vaccine.
In addition, 31.6% of all adults in B.C. and 29.5% of those aged 12 years and older have received two doses of vaccine, they said.
No outbreaks at seniors' homes have been newly declared over.
That leaves active outbreaks at:
• Laurel Place in Surrey;
• Hollyburn House in West Vancouver;
• Minoru Residence in Richmond;
• Glenwood Seniors' Community in Agassiz; and
• Rotary Manor in Dawson Creek.
There are also active outbreaks at Surrey Memorial Hospital and at Port Moody's Eagle Ridge Hospital.
