COVID-19 in B.C.: 13 more deaths reported as hospitalizations decline

A woman wearing a face mask and face shield to curb the spread of COVID-19 is silhouetted during sunset at Ambleside Beach in West Vancouver, on Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Thirteen more COVID-19-related deaths have been reported in B.C., the province's Ministry of Health announced Thursday.

The province has now seen 2,896 deaths since the pandemic began.

The number of test-positive COVID-19 patients in hospital dropped slightly on Thursday to 511, while the number of patients in intensive care units rose slightly to 79.

Total hospitalization numbers include both those who have severe cases of COVID-19 and those who are admitted to hospital for other reasons and test positive incidentally.

Eight of the 13 deaths reported Thursday happened in the two health authorities that serve the Lower Mainland: Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health. Each one saw four deaths in the latest update.

Three deaths happened in Interior Health and two in Northern Health.

Most of the deaths attributed to COVID-19 in B.C. since the pandemic began have been among people ages 70 and older, and many of them have been associated with outbreaks in long-term care and assisted-living facilities.

On Thursday, one new outbreak was declared at Parkwood Court in Victoria. The outbreak at Rest Haven Lodge in Sidney has been declared over, leaving B.C. with 21 ongoing outbreaks in its health-care system.

The ministry does not report the vaccination status of people whose deaths are attributed to COVID-19 in B.C. on a daily basis. Monthly data is posted on the B.C. Centre for Disease Control's COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard, and shows that people who are not vaccinated are dying at a higher rate than those who are. 

While vaccinated people dying from COVID-19 outnumber unvaccinated people dying from the disease, the unvaccinated are overrepresented in COVID-19 death counts relative to their share of the population.  

Ministry and BCCDC data shows the unvaccinated are also overrepresented when it comes to case counts, hospitalizations and intensive care admissions.

A total of 90.6 per cent of eligible B.C. residents ages five and older have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 86.3 per cent have received two shots.

Among adults, 57.9 per cent have received a third dose.

Thursday's update included 391 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19, though that total is not considered representative of the spread of the coronavirus in B.C., since most symptomatic people in the province don't qualify for a test.

Health officials have pointed to other metrics - such as wastewater surveillance and test positivity - as indications that transmission of the coronavirus is declining in the province.

Hospitalizations and ICU admissions have also been trending downward, and health officials are expected to make another announcement on the province's remaining COVID-19-related public health orders next week.

B.C. Premier John Horgan was asked at a news conference Thursday whether he expected any further lifting of restrictions at that time, but he declined to speculate.

The province lifted restrictions related to venue capacity, indoor dining, bars, nightclubs and wedding receptions last month, but has so far opted not to follow other provinces in lifting mask mandates for indoor public spaces or ending the use of vaccine passports for certain activities.