A record reporting period for COVID-19 cases in B.C., as health officials reported 549 cases over the past four days, including 23 cases in Interior Health.

All told, there hare have been 10,734 cases of the virus in B.C. since the pandemic began, with 1,476 active cases – of which 77 people in hospital (the highest since May 5) with 24 people in intensive care (the highest since May 1).

There were 170 cases from Friday to Saturday, 159 cases from Saturday to Sunday, 119 from Sunday to Monday, and 101 from Monday to Tuesday, with five of the cases being epi-linked. More than 3,600 people are in isolation due to possible exposure to the virus.

Across IHA, there are now 30 active cases with one person in hospital.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry spoke about the number of new cases, and says a backlog of about 6,000 tests was cleared over the weekend, for a test positive rate of 1.39 per cent.

“It is important to look at them in context. As we know our lab teams are working to process as many tests as possible as we have increased our numbers over the past week,” she said. “And as there were a number of events that conspired, so that at the end of last week, there was a bit of a backlog and those were cleared over the weekend.”

Henry also reported five more COVID-19 related deaths on the weekend, all in the Lower Mainland, taking the death toll to 250 people.

A total of 8,974 people – about 84 per cent – are now considered to have recovered  from the virus.