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B.C. sees 317 new COVID-19 cases Friday, more than 60% vaccinated

292 people in hospital, two deaths, one new care home outbreak
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Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix navigate the basement corridors of the B.C. legislature to deliver a COVID-19 briefing, May 20, 2021. (B.C. government photo)

B.C.’s COVID-19 infection rate remained stable Friday, with 317 new cases confirmed and 292 people in hospital.

The latest results come as the province reopens indoor dining and local recreational travel, with small church services and low-intensity fitness also allowed indoors.

B.C. has now reached 3.1 million doses of coronavirus vaccine administered, and is stepping up second doses to reach everyone within eight weeks of the first dose. So far 67.2 per cent of all adults have been vaccinated, and 62.7 per cent of people aged 12 and up.

“The virus is still spreading with new cases and clusters, which is why using our layers of protection and getting vaccinated – especially in this time of transition – is so important,” provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a statement May 28.

“Since we last reported, we have had 73 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 163 new cases in the Fraser Health region, five in the Island Health region, 60 in the Interior Health region, 16 in the Northern Health region and no new cases of people who reside outside of Canada.”

There are 79 people in intensive care and two more deaths recorded in B.C. in the past 24 hours.

One new care home outbreak has been declared, with at least one confirmed case for a staff member or resident, at Brookside Lodge Nursing Home in Surrey. It and two others in the Fraser Health region, Cherington Place in Surrey and Chartwell Carlton Care Residence in Burnaby, are all dealing with second outbreaks.

Northern Health region has one current health care outbreak, at Heritage Manor in Fort St. John, and Interior Health currently has outbreak protocol in effect at Spring Valley Care Centre in Kelowna. There are no current health care facility outbreaks on Vancouver Island.

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@tomfletcherbc
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