There are more than 1,000 COVID-19 patients in B.C. hospitals for the first time in the pandemic, according to new government data.
Health officials counted 1,048 hospital patients with the disease, including those who went into hospital for other reasons, and those who remain in hospital despite no longer being deemed infectious. This is a net total of 58 more people than on Friday.
The count includes 138 people in intensive care units (ICUs), which is a net total of three fewer people than three days ago.
Last week, there were 9,231 total patients in B.C.'s 11,582 acute-care hospital beds – a 79.7% occupancy rate. B.C.'s 728 ICU beds had 474 people, for a 65.1% occupancy rate. Those rates are far lower than pre-pandemic.
B.C.'s hospitals before COVID-19 were operating at a 103.5% occupancy rate, Health Minister Adrian Dix has said many times during the pandemic. Postponed surgeries are a major reason why the occupancy rate is now lower.
Another 19 people lost their lives while suffering from COVID-19, raising the province's pandemic death toll to 2,616.
Some good news is that the number of new infections has been on the decline, and at 1,057, was the lowest count of new cases since Dec. 20. Unfortunately, the province's ability to test people for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19 has been under pressure since around Dec. 20, with vaccinated people with mild symptoms told to stay home and self-isolate. Others who have gone to testing centres have been turned away without getting test kits.
The number of those known to be battling infections has also dropped: to 27,454. That's the lowest count since Jan. 4.
There are 58 active outbreaks at B.C. health-care facilities, or seniors' homes.
Of those these eight are new:
• Kelowna General Hospital;
• Dr. Andrew Pavilion at Summerland Health Centre;
• Poplar Ridge at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital;
• Monashee Mews in Lumby;
• Noric House in Vernon;
• McKinney Place in Oliver;
• Glenmore Lodge in Kelowna; and
• Summerland Seniors Village.
Outbreaks newly declared over include:
• Surrey Memorial Hospital;
• Peace Arch Hospital in White Rock;
• CareLife Fleetwood in Surrey;
• Sun Pointe Village in Kelowna;
• Hamlets in Vernon;
• Mount St. Mary Hospital in Victoria;
• Oyster Harbour in Ladysmih; and
• Parkwood Court in Victoria.
Provincial data show 4,480,231 B.C. residents have had at least one dose of vaccine, while 4,184,629 are considered fully vaccinated with two doses. There were 92,414 people given booster, or third, doses of vaccine in the past three days, which was enough to push the total to 2,125,735.
The B.C. government last year estimated that the province's total population is 5,147,712. Hence, Glacier Media's calculation is that almost 87 per cent of B.C.'s total population has had at least one dose of vaccine, and 81.3 per cent of the province's total population has had two doses. Nearly 41.3 per cent have had their booster doses. •
