COVID-19 data for B.C. has started to show that while fewer people are known to be actively battling the disease, those who are, have more serious ailments.
While 4,748 people are known to be fighting active infections in B.C. – the lowest number since August 13 – 422 of those individuals have infections serious enough to be in hospitals. There have not been that many COVID-19 patients in B.C. hospitals since May 12.
Of those in hospital, 157 people are in intensive care units. The last time there were that many COVID-19 patients in ICU was on September 22, with the last time that there were more such people being on May 5.
Another six deaths from the disease were recorded overnight, raising the province's pandemic death toll to 2,137.
Health officials detected 609 new infections.
Of the 203,582 people known to have contracted COVID-19 in B.C. since the first case was detected in January, 2020, 96.4%, or 196,342 people, are deemed by the province to have recovered. In most cases, that diagnosis is because the patients have gone more than 10 days after first feeling symptoms, and are therefore considered to be not infectious.
Vaccinations in the general population have slowed as the vast majority of people are already vaccinated.
Health officials administered initial vaccine doses to 2,635 British Columbians in the past day, as well as second doses of vaccine to 7,552 B.C. residents.
Across B.C., 89.7% of eligible people older than 12 have had at least one dose of vaccine, with 84.7% of eligible people having had two doses, according to the B.C. government.
Of the 4,157,816 B.C. residents who have received one dose of vaccine since mid-December, 2020, 94.4%, or 3,925,937, are considered fully vaccinated, with two doses. Yesterday, the government said 90,425 British Columbians had received third doses of vaccine, and no update was provided today.
The province yesterday set out its plan and timeline for providing booster, or third shots of vaccine to everyone in B.C. that wants one.
The B.C. government estimated in July that the province's total population is 5,147,712, so Glacier Media's calculation is that 80.8% of B.C.'s total population has had at least one dose of vaccine, and 76.3% of the province's total population has had two doses.
Northern Health is by far the hardest hit region in B.C., in part because the vaccination rate is lower in that area.
Glacier Media's broke down the 609 new infections by health region, for each 10,000 residents (with total new cases in brackets).
• 1.4 in Fraser Health (257);
• 0.6 in Vancouver Coastal Health (79);
• 1.2 in Interior Health (92);
• 4.2 in Northern Health (126); and
• 0.6 in Island Health (55).
There were no new infections among people who normally do not reside in Canada.
The result by health region, for the 4,748 people fighting active infections, for each 10,000 residents (with total new cases in brackets) is:
• 11.4 in Fraser Health (2,043);
• 5.4 in Vancouver Coastal Health (676);
• 8.7 in Interior Health (642);
• 26.8 in Northern Health (804); and
• 6.2 in Island Health (524).
There remain 59 active infections in the province in people who normally reside outside B.C.
New health-care facility outbreaks include ones at:
• Queen's Park Care Centre in New Westminster;
• Rosemary Heights Seniors Village in Surrey;
• Pacific Carlton Seniors Community in Surrey; and
• Tabor Home in Abbotsford; and
• Rideau Retirement Residence in Burnaby.
The outbreak at Sunset Manor in Chilliwack has been declared over.
That means B.C. now has 32 active health-care facility outbreaks. •
