COVID-19 in B.C.: 13 more deaths, hospitalizations near record

B.C. added 13 more fatalities to its COVID-19 death toll on Thursday, as hospitalizations rose to near record highs.

There were 977 test-positive patients in hospital Thursday, up from 949 the previous day, and just shy of the all-time record of 987.

That total includes both patients whose illness is serious enough to require hospitalization and those who test positive incidentally while admitted to hospital for some other reason.

There were 141 COVID-19 patients in intensive care in B.C. on Thursday, according to a statement from the Ministry of Health.

The 13 deaths on Thursday follow 21 that were reported Wednesday. The total death toll in B.C. since the pandemic began now stands at 2,588.

The province's rolling seven-day average for deaths now stands at 9.7, a slight decrease from Wednesday, but still well above where it was at the start of the month, when B.C. was averaging just 1.3 deaths per day.

Seven of the latest deaths were recorded in the Fraser Health region, four were in Vancouver Coastal Health, and the Interior and Island health authorities saw one death each.

The ministry doesn't release the vaccination status of people who die from COVID-19 complications on a daily basis.

The latest data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control indicates that unvaccinated people accounted for 31 per cent of the 130 deaths recorded in the province between Dec. 25 and Jan. 21. The unvaccinated account for just 14 per cent of the province's total population. 

The ministry's daily update also doesn't indicate whether deaths are associated with outbreaks in long-term care homes in the province. So far, data released by the BCCDC has shown notably fewer deaths associated with declared outbreaks during the Omicron wave than during previous ones, though the most recent data only covers deaths through Jan. 18. 

Two more outbreaks of COVID-19 in B.C. health-care facilities have been declared since Wednesday's update, and one has been declared over, leaving the province with 62 ongoing outbreaks as of Thursday. 

The ministry's latest update also included 2,033 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the province. This number is no longer considered a reliable indication of how the coronavirus is spreading in B.C., however, since the province no longer recommends testing for most people with symptoms.

As of Thursday, 89.7 per cent of eligible people ages five and older have received at least a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 83.7 per cent have received two doses.

Booster shots have been administered to 43 per cent of people 12 and older, or 46 per cent of adults.