COVID-19 update: B.C. adds 375 cases, 7 deaths
British Columbia has recorded another 375 cases of COVID-19 and seven related deaths, the government announced Wednesday amid ongoing monitoring for the concerning new Omicron variant.
The update, provided in a written statement from the Ministry of Health, pushed the province's seven-day average for infections to 353 per day, up from 345 on Tuesday.
B.C.'s active case count also increased, to 2,936 from 2,889, while the number of infectious COVID-19 patients in hospital remained relatively flat at 301. The number of those patients in intensive care dropped to 98, marking the first time it's been below 100 since Aug. 30.
The latest numbers were released as Canada's federal and provincial governments brace for the impact of the concerning new Omicron variant, which has already appeared in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.
Experts have noted the variant has an alarmingly high number of mutations, though it remains unclear how they will affect transmissibility, severity of illness and possible vaccine resistance.
Alberta confirmed two more Omicron cases on Wednesday, while announcing expanded COVID-19 vaccine booster eligibility. B.C. has previously said the boosters, which are now being given to select vulnerable groups, will be made available to all adults in the new year.
British Columbia has so far confirmed just one Omicron case, in a Lower Mainland resident who recently travelled to Nigeria. More than 200 other recent travellers to Omicron-affected countries have been identified and told to isolate.
While the government is monitoring for additional cases with whole genome sequencing, it has not announced any province-specific measures in response to the emerging variant.
B.C. health officials have urged residents to maintain their layers of protection, including masks and hand-washing, as they head into the holiday season, and to consider only gathering indoors with people who are vaccinated.
"If you have elders or seniors or people whose immune systems are compromised, we need to protect them through this highest-risk transmission season," provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Tuesday.
The federal government has already restricted travel from several southern African countries, and announced increased testing requirements for air travellers.
Earlier this week, B.C. began administering COVID-19 vaccines to children between the ages of five and 11, and 2,789 have received their first dose so far. Officials recently revealed unvaccinated children under the age of 12 have made up about 20 per cent of recent cases in the province, despite representing 10 per cent of the population.
A total of 84.8 per cent of eligible B.C. residents have received at least one vaccine dose, and 81.7 per cent have received two.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
BREAKING Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.