While cases of COVID-19 dipped below 200 on Friday but there were still six new deaths as everything opens up and being vaccinated is the key to playing safe in the post-pandemic world. There are 290 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 46 are in intensive care.

By DESIBUZZCanada Staff

VICTORIA – While cases of COVID-19 dipped below 200 on Friday but there were still six new deaths as everything opens up and being vaccinated is the key to playing safe in the post-pandemic world.

As of Friday, March 18, 90.8% (4,524,510) of eligible people five and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 86.9% (4,332,040) have received their second dose.

In addition, 93.4% (4,329,040) of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, 90.9% (4,215,504) received their second dose and 56.9% (2,636,246) have received a third dose.

Also, 93.7% (4,054,227) of all eligible adults in B.C. have received their first dose, 91.4% (3,951,550) received their second dose and 58.7% (2,539,253) have received a third dose.

B.C. is reporting 199 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 353,578 cases in the province.

The new cases include:

* Fraser Health: 52

* Vancouver Coastal Health: 18

* Interior Health: 72

* Northern Health: 14

* Island Health: 43

* People who reside outside of Canada: zero

There are 290 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 46 are in intensive care.

In the past 24 hours, six new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,966.

The new deaths include:

* Fraser Health: one

* Island Health: five

There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks. The outbreak at Sidney Care Home (Island Health) has been declared over, for a total of seven facilities with ongoing outbreaks, including:

* long-term care:
* Ponderosa, Hillside Village (Interior Health)

* Berwick House Gordon Head, The Heights at Mt. View, Luther Court and Yucalta Lodge (Island Health)

* acute care:
* Surrey Memorial Hospital (Fraser Health)

* assisted or independent living:
* none

From March 10-16, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 17.2% of cases. From March 3-16, they accounted for 26.2% of hospitalizations.

Past week cases (March 10-16) - Total 1,574

* Not vaccinated: 239 (15.2%)

* Partially vaccinated: 32 (2.0%)

* Fully vaccinated: 1,303 (82.8%)

Past two weeks cases hospitalized (March 3-16) - Total 439

* Not vaccinated: 102 (23.2%)

* Partially vaccinated: 13 (3.0%)

* Fully vaccinated: 324 (73.8%)

Past week, cases per 100,000 population after adjusting for age (March 10-16)

* Not vaccinated: 66.5

* Partially vaccinated: 18.0

* Fully vaccinated: 28.2

Past two weeks, cases hospitalized per 100,000 population after adjusting for age (March 3-16)

* Not vaccinated: 30.4

* Partially vaccinated: 12.3

* Fully vaccinated: 6.9

Since December 2020, the Province has administered 11,434,211 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Pfizer Pediatric COVID-19 vaccines.