The steady decline in people fighting serious COVID-19 infections in B.C. hospitals continued February 11, with six fewer such patients than a day ago. There are now more than 40% fewer people in hospital with COVID-19 infections in B.C. (224) than there were at the end of 2020 (374).
Hospitalizations are a key metric to watch in the fight against the global pandemic because a high priority is keeping a sufficient supply of hospital beds in case there is a sudden spike in serious infections.
The number of hospitalizations serious enough for patients to be in intensive care units (ICU) has also been on the decline. The 63 ICU patients in B.C. hospitals is the lowest count since November 25, more than 11 weeks ago, when there were 61 such patients. The current total of 224 COVID-19 patients in B.C. hospitals is the lowest tally since November 19.
Unfortunately, British Columbians continue to lose their lives to complications from COVID-19. There were nine more deaths overnight, for a total of 1,278 people since the first death was reported in B.C., and Canada, on March 9, 2020.
The vast majority of people infected in the province have recovered: 66,603 out of 72,305, or more than 92%.
Health officials are monitoring another 6,869 people for symptoms because they have had known exposure to identified cases.
There are 4,317 people now known to be infected in B.C., including 449 people whose infections were detected in the past 24 hours.
Here is the breakdown of where those new cases are located:
• 93 people in Vancouver Coastal Health (20.7%);
• 242 people in Fraser Health (53.9%);
• 19 in Island Health (4.2%);
• 58 in Interior Health (12.9%); and
• 37 in Northern Health (8.2%).
New vaccinations continue to be scarce thanks to little new supply. There were 2,090 new doses given in the past day, with 1,368 of them being the recipients' required second doses. So far, 144,203 British Columbians have had at least one dose, with 15,684 of them having had second doses.
"There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks," provincial health officer Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a joint statement.
Outbreaks at Glenwood Seniors Community in Agassiz, Hilton Villa Seniors Community in Surrey and Bradley Centre in Chilliwack have been declared as being over, they said.
The eight hospitals in B.C. with active outbreaks now include:
• Abbotsford Regional Hospital in Abbotsford;
• Burnaby General Hospital in Burnaby;
• Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake;
• Dawson Creek and District Hospital in Dawson Creek;
• Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster;
• Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops;
• St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver;
• University Hospital of Northern B.C. in Prince George.
There are active COVID-19 outbreaks at 16 seniors' care homes, assisted-living facilities and retirement residences across the province. This is down from as many as 52 such facilities in January.
Holy Family long-term care centre in Vancouver is the only seniors' home with an outbreak in the Vancouver Coastal Health region.
The six active outbreaks at seniors' living facilities in Fraser Health are:
• Concord By the Sea in White Rock;
• CareLife Fleetwood in Surrey;
• Eagle Ridge Manor in Port Moody;
• George Derby Centre in Burnaby;
• Mountain View Manor in Ladner; and
• Royal City Manor in New Westminster.
The two active outbreaks at a seniors' living facilities in Northern Health are at Jubilee Lodge in Prince George, and Acropolis Manor in Prince Rupert.
The seven active outbreaks at seniors' living facilities in Interior Health are at:
• Brocklehurst Gemstone Care Centre in Kamloops;
• Carrington Place Retirement Residence in Vernon;
• Creekside Landing in Vernon;
• Heritage Square in Vernon;
• Noric House in Vernon;
• Sunnybank Retirement Home in Oliver; and
• Westsyde Care Residences in Kamloops.
There are no outbreaks at seniors' facilities in Island Health.
