B.C. health officials are reporting 640 new cases of COVID-19 today, alone with 24 additional deaths.

One of those deaths was a woman in her 90s not associated with any outbreaks, the first such death in the Interior.

“Our condolences go out to the family, friends and caregivers,” IHA President and CEO Susan Brown said. “As COVID-19 continues to spread, we are all feeling the impacts of this virus across our region. Each of us has a role to play in limiting the spread of COVID-19 as we fight this pandemic together.”

There were 91 new cases today in Interior Health, with active cases sitting at 837 with 28 people in hospital, eight in ICU. Active cases across the province are at 9,950 with 362 people in hospital, 91 of whom are in intensive care.

Interior Health says the outbreak at Sun Pointe Village in Kelowna has been declared over, while it is monitoring the cluster at Big White Ski Resort which had 60 cases identified as of yesterday, with the next update coming on Friday.

Meanwhile, four contractors who were working at the New Afton Mine near Kamloops have tested positive for COVID-19 according to the company.

Fraser Health reported another 399 cases today, to go with 98 in Vancouver Coastal Health, 47 on Northern Health, and five on Vancouver Island. The death toll from COVID-19 in the province is now at 692 people.

Health officials also say 409 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were given to front-line health-care workers yesterday. Starting next week, the province will be getting weekly vaccine deliveries for clinics in every health region throughout the province, with specific timing to follow once it is available.

“We can all be a part of B.C.’s COVID-19 response team – the team that is pulling together and making a difference through this difficult time. Our team is made of hundreds of thousands of people throughout B.C. who are doing their part – at work, at school and at home,” a statement from Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry said.

“Let’s ensure we are using our layers of protection and following all of the public health orders, which is more important than ever right now, especially during the holiday season.”

There are currently 10,538 people in isolation after an exposure to someone with COVID-19, while 32,376 people are considered to have recovered – about 73 per cent of the total.