Nurse Virpal Sidhu reaches into a vehicle to administer the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Sharon Brock at a Fraser Health drive-thru vaccination site, in Coquitlam, B.C., on Wednesday, May 5, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
May 11, 2021 - 4:50 PM
VICTORIA - British Columbia recorded 515 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, continuing a downward trend of infections as the vaccination rate accelerates.
Health officials say in a news release that 6,020 people have active infections, 426 of whom are hospitalized, including 141 in intensive care.
Two more people have died, bringing the death toll to 1,624.
More than 2.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, 110,516 of which are second doses.
The government is also extending the provincial state of emergency through May 25, saying it would allow health and emergency management officials to keep using extraordinary powers to support the pandemic response.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix urged every adult to register amid "ample" vaccine supply.
“The number of people protected with a COVID-19 vaccine is going up every day, and the number of people requiring care in hospital is trending down," the joint statement says.
"This is what we want to see and what we want to keep going."
Most British Columbians are doing their part, but officials continue issuing tickets to owners, operators and event organizers who don't, Mike Farnworth, minister of public safety and solicitor general, says in a statement.
"By following orders for the next while and avoiding non-essential travel, you'll be doing your part to get us all through this sooner,' Farnworth says.
Non-essential travel outside of a person's health authority is currently prohibited.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2021.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2021