B.C. breaks COVID-19 case record for 2nd day in a row

The B.C. government announced more than 1,400 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, breaking the province's all-time record for the second day in a row.

The update from the Ministry of Health announced a "provisional" total of 1,474 new infections, which pushed B.C.'s seven-day average for infections up to 982, the highest it's been since April. The average has nearly tripled in less than two weeks as the highly transmissible Omicron variant quickly overtook Delta as the dominant strain in the province.

Later in the afternoon, the B.C. Centre for Disease Control reported the number of newly confirmed infections as 1,528.

Another six people have also died in connection with COVID-19.

Hospitalizations have remained relatively stable, though health officials have noted they are a lagging indicator, meaning trends tend to follow cases after a period of delay. The number of infectious COVID-19 patients in hospital dipped to 187 on Wednesday, with 71 of them in intensive care.

In Quebec, which is believed to be seven to 10 days ahead of B.C. in terms of Omicron's spread, hospitalization have surged by 75 per cent over the last two weeks.

The Ministry of Health did not provide an update on B.C.'s confirmed Omicron cases, but said a new total will be shared Thursday. There were 756 Omicron infections as of Tuesday, more than double the 302 announced on Friday.

While much remains unknown about the variant, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry pointed to emerging evidence that it is more transmissible, has a shorter incubation period, and has more immune evasion that previous variants.

"It is inevitable now that most of us in the province will be exposed at some point," Henry said Tuesday. "How it affects us depends on our own actions and what we are doing."

Health officials said it does appear being fully immunized offers some protection against severe illness from Omicron, as the only noticeable increase in hospitalizations the province has seen so far has been among the unvaccinated. Henry encouraged vaccinated residents to get a booster dose as soon as possible.

So far, 87.6 per cent of eligible B.C. residents have received at least one dose, 82.7 per cent have received two, and 16 per cent have received three.

The rapid surge in COVID-19 cases has prompted officials to implement several new restrictions, some of which came into effect Monday and others that are taking effect just before midnight Wednesday.

The measures limit the size of personal gatherings, ban organized New Year's Eve gatherings, restrict capacity at venues such as movie theatres and stadiums, and impose new rules on restaurants. They will also force bars, nightclubs, gyms, fitness centres and dance studios to close.

The rules allow British Columbians to invite up to 10 people over during the holidays, or one other household, provided everyone over the age of 12 is vaccinated. Henry urged people to see the same small number of friends and family members consistently, at least until more is understood about the Omicron variant.