Island Health posted 58 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, including 32 from the central Island. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

LOW ADDITIONS

Central Island takes lead in active COVID-19 cases across health authority

Oct 15, 2021 | 4:32 PM

NANAIMO — Island Health posted 58 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday.

It’s the second day in a row where the daily increase has been significantly below recent totals, typically between 70 and 80 per day. Thursday saw just 47 cases in the health authority.

Central Vancouver Island accounted for 32 cases.

Active cases dropped one, now at 484 including 226 on the central Island. The area now leads Island Health in the number of people currently diagnosed with COVID-19. Southern Vancouver Island has 204, with 54 in the north.

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, 48 people remain in Island hospitals for COVID-19, including 31 receiving critical care.

Provincially an additional 667 cases were added, led by the Fraser and Northern Health regions.

Active cases dipped down to 5,128 including 367 in hospital for COVID-19 symptoms, 152 of whom are in intensive care.

Public health also recorded 13 new COVID-19 related deaths, all in Fraser or Interior Health. To date, 2,055 people have lost their lives to coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said late Friday, people who received doses of two or more different COVID-19 vaccines will be considered eligible to enter the United States next month.

Fully vaccinated Canadians will be able to cross the land border beginning Nov. 8.

While the agency has stopped short of recommending the mixed-dose practice in the U-S, it now acknowledges that it is an increasingly common vaccination strategy elsewhere in the world.

That includes Canada, where nearly four million people are believed to have received doses of two different vaccines.

–with files from The Canadian Press.

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