While B.C. residents continue to get COVID-19 by the hundreds each day, the increasing rate of vaccination means there are fewer outbreaks and deaths.

There were 508 new cases in B.C. in the last 24 hours, 59 of which were in Interior Health. Four of the six deaths in the past 24 hours were in the Interior Health region.

A record 12,250 vaccines were administered yesterday, Feb. 18, bringing the provincial total to 192,942 in total, 36,923 of which were second doses.

“This is very good news because with every individual that is protected through vaccination, we are all safer,” deputy provincial health officer Dr. Reka Gustafon said during a news briefing today, Feb. 19. “We are seeing a decline in outbreaks as well as we are seeing there is substantial protection for the frail and elderly from vaccinations.”

Of the 508 new cases in the province, 286 were in the Fraser Health region and the majority of those were in Abbotsford and the Tri-Cities, rather than Surrey, as in the past.

Health Minister Adrian Dix said that means the disease is moving around and can be anywhere. This is not the time, he said, to have in-person Karaoke or Trivia contests.

The other cases were in Vancouver Coastal (118) with 22 on Vancouver Island and 25 in the Northern Health region.

There are now 4,486 active cases in the province with 217 people in hospital, 61 of whom are in intensive care. There are another 7,699 people being actively monitored.

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