B.C.'s daily COVID-19 record shattered by more than 1,400 cases in latest update

The record for most COVID-19 cases reported in a single day was shattered Thursday, when the province reported a number 1,439 cases higher than ever seen before in B.C.

The latest data reported by the Health Ministry included 4,383 cases confirmed in the latest 24-hour period – significantly higher than the record-breaking 2,944 cases recorded the day before.

Also a record is the number of cases of the novel coronavirus considered active in B.C., at 17,357.

Of the latest cases, the majority (2,319) were in B.C.'s most populous health authority, Fraser. Another 977 were recorded in Vancouver Coastal Health, and 501 were detected in the Interior.

Island Health recorded 460 more cases, and 122 were confirmed by the Northern Health Authority. The remaining four cases were confirmed in people who reside outside of Canada, according to the ministry.

Since the start of the pandemic, 251,054 cases have been confirmed in B.C., 230,784 of whom are considered to have recovered.

With the latest update, a total of 2,825 cases of the Omicron variant have been confirmed in B.C. All but 711 of those cases are in the Lower Mainland, in either the Vancouver Coastal or Fraser health authorities.

There are currently 211 COVID-19 patients in hospital who are considered contagious, 66 of whom are being treated in intensive care units.

Health officials say immunization is still among the best strategies to avoid winding up in hospital is to get both shots of vaccine – and a booster, for those who are eligible.

More than half the total number of people hospitalized over the last two weeks (54.7 per cent) have not been vaccinated at all.

Adjusting for age, 14.9 hospitalizations per 100,000 population have been in those who haven't had any doses, compared to 1.1 hospitalizations in the fully vaccinated.

As of Thursday, 88 per cent of people aged five and up had received at least one dose, and 82.9 per cent had been given both shots.

Eliminating those aged five to 11, the most recent demographic in B.C. to be eligible for vaccine, 92.3 per cent of people have at least one dose of vaccine, and 89.6 per cent have had both.

One more person has died since Wednesday's update, when the death toll climbed to 2,419. That person lived in the Interior Health Authority.

The update comes a day after provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the number of daily cases reported in these daily updates is likely much lower -- three to five times lower -- than the actual number of people who've contracted COVID-19.

The daily updates only have information on test results and epidemiologically-linked cases.

They also don't include data on the number people forgoing testing under the provincial health officer's new recommendations.

Thursday's update included six more health-care outbreaks in the province. Including the latest, at Mission Memorial Hospital, New Vista Care Centre, Chartwell Langley Gardens, Chartwell Carlton Gardens, Chartwell Crescent Gardens and Guildford Seniors Village, there are now 13 facilities dealing with ongoing outbreaks.