Everything from decreased hospitalization and decreasing cases and even deaths related to COVID-19 is a good sign that the wider opening and lifting of the mask mandate was the right move and above 90 percent vaccination is effective against the virus. There were over 200 cases and two new deaths on Friday. There are 260 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 50 are in intensive care.

By DESIBUZZCanada Staff

VICTORIA – Everything from decreased hospitalization and decreasing cases and even deaths related to COVID-19 is a good sign that the wider opening and lifting of the mask mandate was the right move and above 90 percent vaccination is effective against the virus. There were over 200 cases and two new deaths on Friday.

As of Friday, March 25, 90.8% (4,526,941) of eligible people five and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 87.2% (4,344,849) have received their second dose.

In addition, 93.4% (4,330,844) of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, 91.0% (4,218,752) received their second dose and 57.3% (2,654,589) have received a third dose.

Also, 93.8% (4,055,879) of all eligible adults in B.C. have received their first dose, 91.4% (3,954,301) received their second dose and 59.0% (2,553,879) have received a third dose.

B.C. is reporting 218 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 355,092 cases in the province.

The new cases include:

* Fraser Health: 45

* Vancouver Coastal Health: 28

* Interior Health: 80

* Northern Health: 18

* Island Health: 47

* People who reside outside of Canada: zero

There are 260 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 50 are in intensive care.

In the past 24 hours, two new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,983.

The new deaths include:

* Vancouver Coastal Health: one

* Northern Health: one

There have been three new health-care facility outbreaks at Amica Douglas House, Acacia Ty Mawr and Sunridge Place Seniors (Island Health), for a total of seven facilities with ongoing outbreaks, including:

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

* The Heights at Mt. View, Selkirk Seniors Village, Amica Douglas House, Acacia Ty Mawr and Sunridge Place Seniors (Island Health)

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

* assisted or independent living:
* none

From March 17-23, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 15.8% of cases.
From March 10-23, they accounted for 26.2% of hospitalizations.

Past week cases (March 17-23) - Total 1,485

* Not vaccinated: 211 (14.2%)

* Partially vaccinated: 24 (1.6%)

* Fully vaccinated: 1,250 (84.2%)

Past two weeks cases hospitalized (March 10-23) - Total 386

* Not vaccinated: 84 (21.8%)

* Partially vaccinated: 17 (4.4%)

* Fully vaccinated: 285 (73.8%)

Past week, cases per 100,000 population after adjusting for age (March 17-23)

* Not vaccinated: 60.6

* Partially vaccinated: 18.0

* Fully vaccinated: 26.7

Past two weeks, cases hospitalized per 100,000 population after adjusting for age (March 10-23)

* Not vaccinated: 23.9

* Partially vaccinated: 15.5

* Fully vaccinated: 6.0

Since December 2020, the Province has administered 11,468,257 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Pfizer Pediatric COVID-19 vaccines.