COVID hospitalizations drop below 100 as BCCDC switches to monthly reporting
The number of people with COVID-19 in B.C. hospitals dropped below 100 this week for the first time since last summer.
The latest data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control shows 97 test-positive COVID patients in provincial hospitals, down from 105 at this time last week.
The number of people with COVID-19 reported in provincial hospitals by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control in 2024 is shown. (CTV News)
Thursday's total is the lowest the BCCDC has reported so far in 2024, and the first time the hospitalization count has been below 100 since August 2023, when the agency reported just 76 patients in hospital.
That August update was a two-year low for COVID-19 hospitalizations in B.C., according to CTV News tracking of publicly released data. It was followed by a dramatic surge in September and October, growing more than five-fold to 422 test-positive patients by Oct. 5, 2023.
If this year follow's last year's pattern, the province is on pace to see an even lower summer low. Last year at this time, there were 268 people hospitalized with COVID, more than double the current total.
Of course, there's no guarantee that transmission of the disease will follow the same pattern it did last summer.
While the hospitalized population has been declining slowly and steadily in recent weeks, other data released by the BCCDC on Thursday has not necessarily followed the same pattern.
The latest update shows 254 new infections confirmed through lab-based testing during the most recent epidemiological week, which ended April 27. That's essentially unchanged from the 253 reported the week before and the 252 reported the week before that.
The percentage of tests coming back positive rose slightly during the most recent week, going from 8.8 per cent to nine per cent, largely as a result of fewer tests being conducted overall.
Whether this recent plateauing of transmission data corresponds to a plateau or slight resurgence of hospitalizations in the coming weeks will not be known until the start of June, as the BCCDC is switching from weekly to monthly reports over the summer.
Wastewater surveillance data will continue to be released weekly on the agency's website, however, and can provide some insight into general trends in virus transmission.
The latest wastewater data released Thursday shows relatively low SARS-CoV-2 concentrations at all monitored treatment plants, with most showing either stable or decreasing trends.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Iran's president and foreign minister die in helicopter crash at moment of high tensions in Mideast
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country's foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East.
Jury finds Andrei Donet guilty of second-degree murder in stabbing death of Montreal teen
A jury has found a 21-year-old man guilty of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of Montreal teenager Jannai Dopwell-Bailey outside his school in 2021.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
Woman, 35, in critical condition after her truck collided with a Via Rail train near Montreal
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Investors watching posts from 'Crytpo King' in the wake of fraud, money laundering charges
Former investors of the self-styled “Crypto King” say they are watching his social media accounts and worried his displays of wealth are signs he’s spending their money, even now, as another large expense tied to Aiden Pleterski has triggered a previously unreported lawsuit.
Britain slammed in inquiry for infecting thousands with tainted blood and covering up the scandal
British authorities and the country's public health service knowingly exposed tens of thousands of patients to deadly infections through contaminated blood and blood products, and hid the truth about the disaster for decades, an inquiry into the U.K.'s infected blood scandal found Monday.
ICC prosecutor seeks arrest warrant for Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Netanyahu
The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said Monday he is seeking arrest warrants for leaders of Israel and Hamas, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over actions taken during their seven-month war.