53 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed for Island Health as efforts to vaccinate younger people continue across the health authority. (The Canadian Press)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

NEW CASES

Island Health’s active case counts down as ‘vax van’ returns to Nanaimo mall & VIU

Sep 3, 2021 | 4:56 PM

NANAIMO — Despite an upward trend of new COVID-19 cases over the past week, Island Health continued to see the number of active cases slip down.

A further 53 new cases were confirmed by the health authority on Friday, Sept. 3, taking the total number of cases to 6,623 since the start of the pandemic. Nineteen of the new cases Friday were in Island Health’s central Island zone.

Active cases dropped by six to 455, continuing a trend through most of the week. Of the active cases, 168 are on the central Vancouver Island region. Southern Vancouver Island accounts for 219 active cases while the north is home to the remaining 68.

According to the BC CDC, 14 people are hospitalized on Vancouver Island with all but two receiving intensive care.

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

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Across B.C., data from public health showed 671 new cases on Friday with the Fraser and Interior Health regions both accounting for 230 each.

Interior Health, which will see additional restrictions applied beginning Tuesday, Sept. 7 reported 89 with Vancouver Coastal Health seeing 78.

Active cases dropped again, slightly, to 5,872 including 215 people hospitalized, 118 of which are receiving intensive care.

No deaths were linked to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.

Just over 78 per cent of people aged 12 and up have received two doses of an approved COVID-19 vaccine, as of Sept. 3.

Island Health announced Friday they are expanding their vax van program to include more stops across the Island. The van provides COVID-19 vaccination without an appointment at malls, parks and other pop-up locations.

The van will be at Woodgrove Centre on Monday, Sept. 6 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Vancouver Island University’s Nanaimo campus will also host a pop-up clinic on Tuesday, Sept. 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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