369 in hospital with COVID-19 in belated B.C. weekly update
369 in hospital with COVID-19 in belated B.C. weekly update
Surrey Memorial Hospital.
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control reported 369 people in hospital with COVID-19 in the province on Friday, up roughly 12 per cent from the previous week.
The latest numbers come amid an ongoing surge in respiratory illness in the province that has stretched children's hospitals to the brink, but which officials say has not been driven by COVID-19.
The number of patients in B.C. hospitals with COVID-19 on Thursdays since the province switched to a "hospital census" model is shown. (CTV)
The number of patients in hospital with COVID-19 reported by the BCCDC each week includes both those with serious SARS-CoV-2 infections requiring hospitalization and those who are hospitalized for other reasons and test positive incidentally.
Health officials have previously said between 50 and 60 per cent of the people in B.C. hospitals with COVID-19 at a given time are "incidental" cases.
Since the province switched to this "hospital census" counting method in January, there have been as many as 985 and as few as 255 people in hospital on Thursdays.
This week's update came a day late. The BCCDC typically publishes weekly COVID-19 data on Thursdays, but said on its website this week that "a disruption to the network infrastructure that temporarily impacted information system updates" had forced it to delay the update.
CASES AND WASTEWATER CONCENTRATIONS RISING
In addition to the number of people currently in hospitals around the province, the weekly update includes data on new, lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19, new admissions to hospital, and wastewater surveillance.
This data is compiled by "epidemiological week" and released several days after the week in question is completed. The data released Friday, for example, was compiled during the week of Nov. 20 to 26.
During that time, according to the BCCDC, 604 new infections were confirmed through lab-based testing. That's 106 more new cases than were reported during the previous epidemiological week, an increase of roughly 21 per cent.
These totals reflect only lab-based testing. Cases detected through at-home rapid antigen tests – which are the only type of test available to the vast majority of British Columbians – are not counted. The province also excludes reinfections from its case totals, which can further lessen the accuracy of the official case count.
The independent B.C. COVID-19 Modelling Group estimates that the BCCDC's case counts are off by roughly 100-fold, meaning the 604 new cases reported for Nov. 20 to 26 reflect more like 60,400 newly infected people in the community during the period, or about 8,600 per day.
Still, the increase in the official case count is notable, and it mirrors the trend in wastewater surveillance in the Lower Mainland, where all five treatment plants have shown increased concentrations of the coronavirus in recent weeks.
The number of new hospital admissions for the week of Nov. 20 to 26 also shows an increase. There were 161 new admissions reported during that time, up from 144 initially reported during the previous week.
The BCCDC typically revises these figures up after a week, as data become more complete. Last week's 144 has since been revised up to 192, but this week's total is starting from a higher initial point.
VACCINATION DATA
According to the BCCDC's COVID-19 dashboard, the province administered 97,542 new doses of COVID-19 vaccine during the week that ended Nov. 26.
That marks the first time since September that B.C. has administered fewer than 100,000 shots in a week.
As has been the case for much of the province's "fall booster" campaign, the vast majority of doses administered during the week in question were either fourth or fifth doses, meaning they were given to people who had already had a primary course of vaccine and a booster dose.
In all, there were 48,951 fourth doses and 32,493 fifth doses administered during the week, about 83 per cent of the total.
In its most recent report, the independent modelling group noted that waning immunity from previous rounds of vaccination and infection would likely lead to increases in COVID-19 cases and social impacts, until "waning is offset by new immunity gained through vaccination and/or infections."
The federal government is seeking to delay the extension of assisted dying eligibility to people whose sole condition is a mental disorder until March 17, 2024. Justice Minister David Lametti introduced a bill seeking the extension in the House of Commons on Thursday.
A gay man is taking the federal government to court, challenging the constitutionality of a policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned.
Will we see six more weeks of winter, or an early spring? Here’s what some of the groundhogs (and one human) have predicted so far, from coast-to-coast.
Nestle Canada says it is winding down its frozen meals and pizza business in Canada over the next six months. The four brands that will no longer be sold in the freezer aisle at Canadian grocery stores are Delissio, Stouffer's, Lean Cuisine and Life Cuisine.
The United States has answered President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's plea for rockets that can strike deep behind the front lines of the nearly year-long conflict with Russia. Now Russian forces will need to adapt or face potentially catastrophic losses.
Australia is removing the monarchy from its bank notes. The nation's new $5 bill will feature an Indigenous design rather than an image of King Charles III. But the king is still expected to appear on coins that currently bear the image of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The organization regulating medical care and services in Manitoba is apologizing for racism directed towards Indigenous people when accessing health care in the province.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall theft.
A pair of provincial parks are being considered in the B.C. government's treaty negotiations with the T’Sou-ke and Songhees nations on Vancouver Island.
A homicide investigation is underway on Quadra Island, B.C., after a 39-year old woman was found dead in what investigators believe was a targeted killing.
Athabasca University's board of governors has replaced the president who resisted the government's demand to double the distance-learning school's number of employees who live in Athabasca.
Ontario has released a new 'connected' and 'convenient' health-care plan aimed at shortening wait times and localizing access to care across the province.
Three Richmond Hill residents have been arrested after police seized $500,000 in fake gift cards from a “sophisticated forgery lab” while searching multiple local properties last month.
A polar vortex is descending over Ontario this week and some of the coldest weather is still to come. Wind chills will also reach dangerous levels, increasing the risk of frostbite.
The next few nights are expected to be frigid in Montreal, with wind chill factors dropping to -30. In order to prevent anyone experiencing homelessness from ending up outdoors, the City of Montreal is announcing the opening of two emergency shelters.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall theft.
The federal government is seeking to delay the extension of assisted dying eligibility to people whose sole condition is a mental disorder until March 17, 2024. Justice Minister David Lametti introduced a bill seeking the extension in the House of Commons on Thursday.
Paramedic logs from 2022 are highlighting some of the pressures Regina EMS workers have been facing for months including one instance where a patient died following offload delays at the hospital, the documents indicate.
Calgary's Scotiabank Saddledome was packed to the rafters with fans eager to take a look at Canadian phenom Connor Bedard and the 17-year-old did not fail to impress.
On the day that Shubenacadie Sam predicted six more weeks of winter, there are warnings and statements cautioning that the coldest air of the season is about to arrive in the Maritimes.
The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) has issued its first Cold Weather Alert of the year. The Alert will come into effect just after midnight as wind chill values plunge to -23 C by midday Friday.
One person has died after a two-vehicle crash in south London Wednesday night. Police were called to the scene on Bostwick Road around 7:20 p.m. and say there were five people injured in total and all five were taken to the hospital with injuries ranging from serious to life-threatening.
Wiarton Willie has predicted an early spring! The groundhog in South Bruce Peninsula didn't see his shadow at 8:07 a.m. on Thursday morning, meaning spring is on the way.
The Nishnawbe Aski Police Service is investigating after a handwritten note containing a violent threat at an Attawapiskat arena was found during a hockey tournament prompting an armed response by officers.
Highway 11 in northern Ontario is closed Thursday morning from Highway 66 near Kenogami Lake to Matheson after a collision involving several vehicles, police say.
Ontario has released a new 'connected' and 'convenient' health-care plan aimed at shortening wait times and localizing access to care across the province.
Wiarton Willie made his prediction his spring prediction Thursday morning at 8:07 a.m. The groundhog did not see his shadow, meaning we could get an early spring.
Surrey Memorial Hospital.
The number of patients in B.C. hospitals with COVID-19 on Thursdays since the province switched to a "hospital census" model is shown. (CTV)
