Central Vancouver Island added 34 new cases to its total on Friday, Sep. 17, however the south Island drove a record increase for the health authority. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

CASES SPIKE

Southern Vancouver Island drives another large COVID-19 increase

Sep 17, 2021 | 4:20 PM

NANAIMO — Areas south of the Malahat continue to grapple with COVID-19 cases spiking.

Island Health reported 114 new cases on Friday, a sharp increase over recent averages and the biggest single-day increase recorded in the health authority.

The southern Vancouver Island region, consisting of communities south of the Malahat and surround Gulf Islands accounted for 73 of the additions. Central Vancouver Island recorded 34 new cases while the north had the remaining seven.

Active cases in the health authority rose 38, to 619, thanks in large part to the southern spike. The number of active COVID-19 cases dropped in central Island, from 258 on Thursday, Sep. 16, to 249.

There is a data discrepancy between Island Health and the province, based on the timing of daily COVID-19 results. NanaimoNewsNOW reports local verified data from Island Health.

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According to the BC Centre for Disease Control, 33 people are hospitalized on Vancouver Island with 13 receiving critical care.

Provincially, another 768 cases were added by public health. It pushed the number of active cases above 6,000 to 6,031.

B.C. hospitals currently have 298 COVID patients admitted including 136 receiving critical care.

Eleven people lost their lives as a result of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, all from the Interior or Lower Mainland. To date, 1,888 people have died from the pandemic.

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