COVID-19 update: B.C. hospitalizations still surging as hundreds of surgeries delayed
The number of COVID-19 patients in B.C. hospitals continued to climb on Tuesday, adding to the pandemic's ongoing strain on health-care resources that has already resulted in hundreds of delayed surgeries in recent weeks.
B.C.'s Ministry of Health announced there are now 332 coronavirus patients hospitalized across the province, a jump of 25 from Monday. The number of those patients in intensive care remained relatively flat at 155, however.
Earlier in the day, Health Minister Adrian Dix confirmed there were 798 non-urgent surgeries postponed between Sept. 5 and 18 due to the influx of coronavirus admissions.
"Every one of those surgeries is medically necessary," Dix said. "Every one of those surgeries will be done. But they've had to be delayed because of COVID-19 pressures on our hospitals."
That pressure was preventable, the health minister said, and can still be alleviated if more residents get vaccinated against COVID-19.
"It is essential those who have not been vaccinated and are eligible to be vaccinated make the decision we are all counting on them to make," Dix said.
Of the patients battling COVID-19 in ICUs on Tuesday, 94 per cent are not fully vaccinated, according to the province. Just over 88 per cent have not received a single dose of vaccine, including all 20 patients under the age of 40.
"After factoring for age, people not vaccinated are 33.1 times more likely to be hospitalized than those fully vaccinated," the Ministry of Health said in its release.
Officials also announced 525 new cases of COVID-19 and one related death on Tuesday. The province has now identified 180,178 infections and suffered 1,900 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
The unimmunized also make up the vast majority of cases, leading officials to declare B.C. in a "pandemic of the unvaccinated."
Of the 4,367 cases recorded from Sept. 13 to 19, 68.3 per cent involved the unvaccinated – a group that represents less than a quarter of the population, including all children under the age of 12 who aren't eligible for vaccination.
The unvaccinated were infected at a rate of 290 per 100,000 population during the same time period, compared to 26.3 per 100,000 for the fully vaccinated.
So far, B.C. has administered 7,725,586 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines. Eighty-seven per cent of the eligible population has had at least one dose, and 79.5 per cent have received both doses.
The spread of COVID-19 among the unvaccinated has also been blamed, in part, for an increase in outbreaks at health-care facilities in B.C. Officials announced another outbreak on Tuesday, at the Victoria Chinatown Care Centre, bringing the total number of active outbreaks across the province's health-care system to 22.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.