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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Video shows suspect setting Toronto-area barbershop on fire
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.