849 new COVID-19 cases reported in B.C. as hospitalizations break new record

Health officials are urging eligible British Columbians to register online for a vaccine in order to reduce growing pressure on health-care workers getting "pushed to the limits" at hospitals.

Provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix say those aged 35 and up can now register for a vaccine as part of the province's age-based vaccination stream.

Dix and Dr. Henry say 849 more people have become infected with COVID-19 and one more person has died for a total of 1,539 fatalities since the pandemic began.

They say 456 people are in hospital and 148 of them are in intensive care as the province works to vaccinate as many people as possible, now surpassing 1.4-million vaccinations.

Over 88,000 people among a population of 4.3-million eligible residents have received two doses of a vaccine and BC has joined four other provinces in lowering the eligibility age for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to 40 from 55, while Saskatchewan and Quebec have reduced the age to 45.

BC residents in 13 high-risk communities are being prioritized for immunization with the AstraZeneca vaccine, which has also been used for essential workers most at risk of infection.