COVID-19 update: B.C. adds 7 deaths, 743 new cases as province marks vaccination milestone
The B.C. government announced 743 new cases of COVID-19 and seven coronavirus-related deaths Friday, as the province marked a new vaccination milestone.
Four out of five eligible British Columbians – or 3,709,554 people age 12 and up – have now received both doses of COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Ministry of Health. Another 344,184 people have had their first shot.
The unvaccinated population continues to make up the majority of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations, despite representing less than 22 per cent of the province, including young children who are currently ineligible for any of the approved vaccines.
Between Sept. 16 and 22, the unvaccinated caught COVID-19 at a rate of 292.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 90.8 among the partially vaccinated and just 28.3 among the fully vaccinated.
During the same time period, the unvaccinated were hospitalized at a rate of 46.6 per 100,000 after catching COVID-19, compared to 14.1 among the partially vaccinated and 1.8 among the fully vaccinated.
"After factoring for age, people not vaccinated are 25.9 times more likely to be hospitalized than those fully vaccinated," the Ministry of Health said in a news release.
Friday's update left B.C.'s seven-day average for new cases at 650 per day, and the seven-day average for related deaths at 4.86 per day.
A total of 182,541 infections and 1,922 deaths have been recorded across the province since the start of the pandemic.
Nearly two-thirds of the latest cases came from the Fraser Health and Interior Health regions, though the Northern Health region once again saw the highest number of infections per capita.
Northern Health recorded 37.3 cases per 100,000 residents, compared to 21.4 in Interior Health, 15.3 in Fraser Health, 9.3 in Vancouver Coastal Health and 6.6 in Island Health.
COVID-19 hospitalizations decreased to 319, which includes 149 infectious patients in intensive care. CTV News reported this week that the Ministry of Health removes ICU patients from the provincial total once they are no longer considered infectious, even though they sometimes remain in treatment for months.
Earlier on Friday, after repeated requests from media and mounting criticism from health researchers, officials revealed there are 152 additional patients who remain in hospital after being removed from the total. The government did not promise to continue providing that information on a recurring basis.
"(Those patients) are included in reports on overall hospital capacity and critical-care capacity. These cases do not directly contribute to the epidemiological picture of the pandemic, but importantly, make a significant contribution to public awareness and understanding of hospitals’ readiness to provide care," the Ministry of Health said in a statement.
Officials had no new outbreaks to declare in B.C.'s health-care system on Friday, and said the one at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital has ended.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.