While there were just 45 new COVID-19 cases reported in B.C. today, over 40 per cent of them were in Interior Health.

Health officials say the 45 cases includes a data correction from yesterday, as well as a reconciliation of records for cases followed up by the Federal Quarantine Program between March and April.

There were 19 cases in Interior Health today, with 181 now active. Elsewhere there were 14 cases in Vancouver Coastal Health (248 active), eight new cases in Fraser Health (170 active), and four new cases in Island Health (21 active).

There were no cases in Northern Health, though there are 30 active cases, and no new cases of people who normally live outside of Canada, with 11 cases active.

Yesterday, Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry said health officials are concerned by the relatively high numbers of new cases in Interior Health.

“It is clusters, primarily in smaller communities, where there’s been an introduction and some transmission, particularly in pockets of unvaccinated people,” Henry said.

“This is where we’re trying to get vaccine out to people and that is a challenge, particularly in the North and Interior where we have many small communities, and of course, right now where we have everything from wildfire and smoke as well to contend with.”

Across B.C, there are now 661 active cases of COVID-19 with 73 people in hospital, 19 in intensive care.

There are now 44.2 per cent of adults who are fully vaccinated in the province, with 79.7 per cent of people with at least one dose of a vaccine.

No new deaths were reported today leaving the death toll at 1,760 people.

An outbreak of COVID-19 at Royal Inland Hospital is still active with ten cases, all among patients, along with outbreaks at Surrey Memorial Hospital and Eagle Ridge Hospital in Port Moody.