B.C. health officials are reporting another 531 new cases of COVID-19 today, as well as one more death.

There were 42 new cases in Interior Health, with another 291 cases in Fraser Health, 147 in Vancouver Coastal Health, 32 in Northern Health, and 19 on Vancouver Island.

Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry says there were another 51 new cases of a variant of concern identified in the province taking the total number to 627, with 109 of these cases active. There have now been 580 cases of the B.1.1.7 (U.K.) variant, 33 cases of the B.1.351 (South Africa) variant, and 14 cases of the P.1 (Brazil) variant.

Active cases across the province are at 4,861 with 244 people in hospital, 66 of whom are in intensive care. A further 9,051 people are under public health monitoring as a result of an identified exposure to a known case of COVID-19.

Henry also says there have been 355,340 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine administered in the province, 86,960 of which are second doses.

“We are now starting to receive supplies of the AstraZeneca vaccine. This additional vaccine supply will be used to supplement our age-based provincewide immunization program,” she said, in a statement. “In particular, we will use this vaccine to assist with outbreak response in communities and within high-risk industries.”

“What is important for all of us to remember is that with every outbreak that is quickly managed and every worker who is immunized, all of us have increased protection. With each person who is immunized, it means our friends and loved ones are safer and we are all closer to putting COVID-19 behind us.”

Seniors over 90 and Indigenous peoples over age 65 are able to book vaccine appointments this week. People over 85 will be able to book an appointment this coming Monday, while those over 80 can do so on March 22.

“We remind everyone who is outside of these age groups to wait to call until your registration window begins,” Henry added.

There are now 79,309 people who are considered to have recovered from COVID-19, about 93 per cent of the total of 85,650 cases in British Columbia.