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Mar 19, 2021 1:09 AM -

B.C. reports 622 new COVID-19 cases with 136 cases of variants

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B.C.’s provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry during a news conference in Victoria. (B.C. Government)

BC is reporting 622 new cases of COVID-19, pushing the total over 90-thousand since the pandemic began, and eight more people have died.

A joint statement from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix says more than 4,900 infections are active, including 286 people who are hospitalized.

BC has confirmed 136 new variant cases for a total of 1,132, the vast majority of which are the variant first found in the United Kingdom.

The province says 143 cases of those variants of concern remain active.

The latest numbers come after the province announced more than 300,000 front-line workers from a wide range of sectors will be eligible to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in the coming weeks.

Dr. Henry and Dix say that everyone who is eligible for a vaccine will have access to one before July 1st under the current age-based immunization plan.

They say vaccine appointment bookings will open for people aged 79 and up starting on Saturday.

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