COVID-19 update

Province to expand eligibility to register for vaccine to those aged 18 and up starting Friday

Apr 22, 2021 | 1:24 PM

VICTORIA — Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced 1,006 new cases of COVID-19 in British Columbia today (April 22).

That brings the total number of cases in B.C. to 122,757. Here’s the regional breakdown of new cases over the past 24 hours:

  • Vancouver Coastal Health: 241
  • Fraser Health: 600
  • Island Health: 37
  • Interior Health: 83
  • Northern Health: 42

The number of those hospitalized has reached 502, with 161 people in intensive or critical care.

Sadly there have been four new deaths bringing B.C.’s death toll to 1,550.

A total of 1,500,400 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have now been administered in B.C. Of those, 88,475 are second doses.

B.C. is cancelling around 1,750 elective surgeries in the Lower Mainland due to the uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations. Health Minister Adrian Dix says nine hospitals are affected and this plan will stay in place for a minimum of two weeks.

Dix said surgeries will not be affected in Northern Health due to mass vaccination efforts within the region.

Dr. Henry also announced that the Province is expanding eligibility to register for a vaccine to those aged 25 and up today and those 18 and up tomorrow.

Tomorrow, the Province will announce plans it has to prevent travelers from traveling outside of their respective health authorities.

“Travel will spread the virus further. It (restrictions) means we’ll avoid COVID hotspots,” said Henry.