B.C. is reporting 500 new COVID-19 cases and 14 deaths today, including 91 cases and three deaths in Interior Health.

Provincewide, the active case count is up slightly to 4,345, but hospitalizations are down slightly to 320 people, with 66 of those in intensive care. There are also 6,905 people being actively monitored as a result of an identified exposure to a known case.

Active cases in the Interior are at 1,067 – 25 per cent of the total in the province – an increase of 12 people since yesterday, with 30 people in hospital, seven in critical care.

Fraser Health has reported 216 new cases, with 125 in Vancouver Coastal Health, 35 in Northern Health, 32 on Vancouver Island, and one new case in a person who lives outside of Canada.

The COVID-19 death toll in British Columbia has increased to 1,104 people.

There were no COVID-19 deaths at the Brocklehurst Gemstone Care Centre, but there was one more case reported in a staff member, taking the total to 21 cases – 16 residents and five staff members. Two outbreaks in the Interior – at Mountainview Village in Kelowna and Village by the Station in Penticton – have been declared over.

Also in the Interior, the outbreak at the Canim Lake Band has now grown to 60 total cases, with at least one death connected the outbreak.

“Our COVID-19 curve is trending in the right direction, and we want to keep that going – to push our curve down, which in turn, will allow us to safely ease restrictions,” said a statement from Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, and Health Minister Adrian Dix.

“We thank everyone for continuing to do their part to stop the spread in our communities and helping all of us to get to the finish line faster. With each day that we follow the public health measures, our communities and our loved ones are safer. Let’s keep going.”

There have now ben 98,125 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine administered in the province, of which 14,211 have been in Interior Health.

And there are now 55,564 people who have recovered from COVID-19, about 89 per cent of the total.