Masks are returning indoors as cases of COVID-19 spike as do deaths with the weekend seeing 16 people die. Cases were up over 600 again Tuesday but no new deaths. B.C. is reporting 641 new cases of COVID-19, including one epi-linked case, for a total of 161,271 cases in the province. There are currently 5,357 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 153,967 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 138 individuals are currently in hospital and 78 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.

By DESIBUZZCanada Staff

VICTORIA – Masks are returning indoors as cases of COVID-19 spike as do deaths with the weekend seeing 16 people die. Cases were up over 600 again Tuesday but no new deaths.

As of Tuesday, Aug. 24, 83.3% (3,861,296) of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 75.1% (3,482,876) received their second dose.

In addition, 84.1% (3,635,963) of all eligible adults in B.C. have received their first dose and 76.3% (3,300,470) received their second dose.

B.C. is reporting 641 new cases of COVID-19, including one epi-linked case, for a total of 161,271 cases in the province.

There are currently 5,357 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 153,967 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 138 individuals are currently in hospital and 78 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.

The new/active cases include:

* 149 new cases in Fraser Health
* Total active cases: 1,223

* 125 new cases in Vancouver Coastal Health
* Total active cases: 1,330

* 273 new cases in Interior Health
* Total active cases: 2,054

* 39 new cases in Northern Health
* Total active cases: 308

* 53 new cases in Island Health
* Total active cases: 430

* two new cases of people who reside outside of Canada
* Total active cases: 12

In the past 24 hours, no new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 1,801.

There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks. The outbreak at KinVillage West Court (Fraser Health) has been declared over, for a total of 12 active outbreaks, including:

* long-term care: Heritage Village (Fraser Health), Village at Mill Creek - second floor, Nelson Jubilee Manor, Kootenay Street Village, Cottonwoods Care Centre and Brookhaven Care Centre (Interior Health)

* acute care: Peace Arch Hospital (Fraser Health)

* assisted or independent living: Nicola Meadows, Hawthorn Park, David Lloyd, Sun Pointe Village and Hardy View Lodge (Interior Health)

From Aug. 9-22, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 83.4% of cases and 85.6% of hospitalizations.

Cases (Aug. 16-22)

* Unvaccinated: 2,870 (70.2%)

* Partially vaccinated: 541 (13.2%)

* Fully vaccinated: 680 (16.6%)

Hospitalizations (Aug. 9-22)

* Unvaccinated: 108 (77.7%)

* Partially vaccinated: 11 (7.9%)

* Fully vaccinated: 20 (14.4%)

Since December 2020, the Province has administered 7,351,471 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.

Learn More:

For the new PHO order on masks in public indoor settings, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/25217

For the Aug. 23, 2021, announcement on proof of vaccination in B.C., visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/25211