B.C. reopening 20 emergency operations centres as hospitalizations surge
The B.C. government is reactivating 20 emergency operations centres across the province in preparation for an expected increase in hospitalizations for COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.
Health Minister Adrian Dix said the EOCs, which helped the province through previous waves of COVID-19 infections, will be reopening Monday for a period of at least six weeks.
"January is typically a time when we see an increase in hospitalizations," Dix said at a news conference Friday. "This January is no different. Demand for hospital care in B.C. is high."
The EOCs were activated last January as well, as the health-care system was grappling with an enormous increase in Omicron infections, and again in the fall as cases of influenza and RSV were on the rise.
Officials said there were 10,226 people in the province's acute care beds as of Thursday, filling 88 per cent of the 11,680 available, which includes approximately 2,500 surge beds.
That's up six per cent from the 9,637 beds that were in use as of New Year's Eve.
Apart from the growing number of COVID-19 and flu cases, Dix said there has been an increase in people seeking care since the holidays ended – and the province is expecting hospitals to be under even more pressure over the coming weeks.
He described the reactivation of EOCs as a "proactive step" that will help ensure the public can continue to access care, including non-urgent scheduled surgeries.
The health minister cautioned there would still likely be "some cancellations, as there are at every time of year for different reasons."
The EOCs are expected to help clear space in hospital emergency departments, and allow for easier co-ordination of health-care resources during this period of increased demands on the system.
Dix noted the system has been under various forms of added pressure since the start of the pandemic in 2020, describing the pressure on workers as "unrelenting."
"People have been working like this for years and they need our support," Dix said. "And they'll get it, but it's very, very challenging for them."
Hospitals where emergency operation centres will be established are Abbotsford Regional, Royal Columbian, Surrey Memorial, East Kootenay Regional, Kelowna General, Kootenay Boundary Regional, Penticton Regional, Royal Inland, Vernon Jubilee, Fort St. John & Peace Villa, Mills Memorial, University Hospital of Northern BC, BC Children's, Lions Gate, Richmond, St. Paul's, Vancouver General, Nanaimo Regional General, Royal Jubilee and Victoria General.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.