COVID-19 update: B.C. adds 7 deaths, 743 new cases as province marks vaccination milestone

The B.C. government announced 743 new cases of COVID-19 and seven coronavirus-related deaths Friday, as the province marked a new vaccination milestone.

The B.C. government announced 743 new cases of COVID-19 and seven coronavirus-related deaths Friday, as the province marked a new vaccination milestone.

Four out of five eligible British Columbians – or 3,709,554 people age 12 and up – have now received both doses of COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Ministry of Health. Another 344,184 people have had their first shot.

The unvaccinated population continues to make up the majority of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations, despite representing less than 22 per cent of the province, including young children who are currently ineligible for any of the approved vaccines.

Between Sept. 16 and 22, the unvaccinated caught COVID-19 at a rate of 292.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 90.8 among the partially vaccinated and just 28.3 among the fully vaccinated.

During the same time period, the unvaccinated were hospitalized at a rate of 46.6 per 100,000 after catching COVID-19, compared to 14.1 among the partially vaccinated and 1.8 among the fully vaccinated.

"After factoring for age, people not vaccinated are 25.9 times more likely to be hospitalized than those fully vaccinated," the Ministry of Health said in a news release.

Friday's update left B.C.'s seven-day average for new cases at 650 per day, and the seven-day average for related deaths at 4.86 per day.