B.C health officials are reporting 1,428 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend along with eight deaths with 67 new cases in Interior Health.

There were 504 new cases from Friday to Saturday, 475 new cases from Saturday to Sunday, and 449 new cases from Sunday to Monday – an average of 476 new cases over the weekend.

Active cases in the province are at 4,560 with 223 people in hospital, 63 of whom are in intensive care. There are 624 active cases in the Interior Health Authority, with 19 people in hospital, nine in ICU across the health authority.

The outbreak at Royal Inland Hospital is over, but there was an outbreak of COVID-19 declared at Kelowna General Hospital.

Over the weekend, there were also 28 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 variants of concern reported in B.C., taking the total to 101 cases – 81 of the B.1.1.7 (UK variant) and 20 of the B.1.31 (South African variant). There are also two cases of the B.1.525 (Nigerian) variant under investigation.

Four of those cases are active with 97 considered to have recovered, according to the provincial government.

“It is important to know that while these COVID-19 variants of concern have shown to transmit more easily, the measures we take to stop the spread are exactly the same as what we have been doing since the start of the pandemic,” a statement from Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry said.

“As community transmission continues, we all need to continue to use all of the layers of protection, to continue to keep to our households only, and to avoid travel unless it is absolutely necessary.”

Earlier in the day, Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside said there is no evidence of any transmission in schools after COVID-19 variant exposures were reported at seven schools in the Fraser Health region. Whiteside says that shows the ‘robust health and safety plans’ that are in place are working when they are followed.

“We will learn from this situation and if it is necessary to update the safety guidelines, that is a question that we are constantly looking at,” she said.

Its also why Deputy Provincial Health Officer – Dr. Réka Gustafson – says there is no immediate need to ramp up testing outside the Lower Mainland.

“Fraser Health just announced an approach that is appropriate for them,” she said. “We will certainly look at that data, but again, there is no indication right now that in BC we need to change our approach.”

Health officials say they have now administered 218,726 COVID-19 vaccines doses, with 55,057 of those being second doses. That is an increase of about 25,000 vaccine doses since Friday.

A total of 7,768 people are under active public health monitoring as a result of an identified exposure to known cases of COVID-19.

And there are 71,313 people who are considered to have recovered, about 92 per cent of the total 77,263 cases in British Columbia.