B.C. COVID case counts continue upward trend

The number of new COVID-19 cases in B.C. in the last 24 hours climbed to 715 today, Oct. 21, up from 696 yesterday and 560 the day before.

In the Interior Health region there was a similar increase to 132 new cases, up from 118 yesterday and 79 the day before.

There were 285 new cases in Fraser Health, 172 in Northern Health, 61 on Vancouver Island and 60 in Vancouver Coastal.

There were four new deaths, all in the Northern Health region, bringing the pandemic total to 2,096.

There are 4,965 active cases with 377 people in hospital, 136 of whom are in intensive care.

The vaccination rate has reached 89.4% of those over the age of 12 with at least one dose, 83.8% of whom have had two doses.

There have been two more outbreaks declared at health care facilities, including one in the Interior Health region (Deni House in Williams Lake).

READ MORE: Big drop in COVID-19 exposures at schools in Interior Health


To contact a reporter for this story, email Rob Munro or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submitphotos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Rob Munro

Rob Munro has a long history in journalism after starting an underground newspaper in Whitehorse called the Yukon Howl in 1980. He spent five years at the 100 Mile Free Press, starting in the darkroom, moving on to sports and news reporting before becoming the advertising manager. He came to Kelowna in 1989 as a reporter for the Kelowna Daily Courier, and spent the 1990s mostly covering city hall. For most of the past 20 years he worked full time for the union representing newspaper workers throughout B.C. He’s returned to his true love of being a reporter with a special focus on civic politics