The province is reporting 536 new cases of COVID-19 today as well as seven deaths from the virus.

Interior Health has seen 115 of those cases; only Fraser Health reported more cases today with 253.

There are now 4,624 active cases of the virus in B.C and 362 people in hospital, with 74 people in intensive care.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the first virus case of the South African variant has been reported in the province, in a person who lives in Vancouver Coastal Health with no known travel history.

The South African variant has been found to be much more contagious although not necessarily more lethal, similar to the U.K. variant.

Also, Henry says there are now four cases of the U.K. variant in the province, and she says officials don’t believe it has spread beyond those people. Three of those cases are linked to someone who travelled to the U.K. and returned home to Vancouver Island.

Meanwhile, there have now been 69,746 vaccine doses administered across the province against COVID-19.