B.C. reports 13 COVID-19 deaths, another jump in hospitalizations
The B.C. government has announced 13 more deaths related to COVID-19, along with another jump in test-positive patients in hospital.
Wednesday's update from the Ministry of Health continues the trends of increasing fatalities and hospitalizations that have been recorded in the province for weeks.
B.C.'s seven-day average for coronavirus-related deaths has now reached 7.14 per day, which is the highest it's been since Nov. 16. The average was holding steady at around 1.29 per day at the beginning of the year.
Six of the deaths were recorded in the Fraser Health region, four were in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, two were in the Island Health region and one was in the Interior Health region.
Meanwhile, the number of patients in hospital with COVID-19 has increased to 895, up from 854 on Tuesday. That includes 115 patients in intensive care.
Overall hospitalization numbers are now considered an "overestimate" of COVID-19's immediate impact on the health-care system, as the province switched to a new system of reporting that includes all so-called incidental cases – people who were in hospital for reasons unrelated to the virus but tested positive during routine screening.
Officials have said approximately 45 per cent of COVID-19 hospitalizations are likely incidental, based on a case study conducted in the Vancouver Coastal Health region.
All cases involving patients still put additional strain on hospital resources, however, and can spread to doctors and nurses, forcing them off the job and exacerbating staffing shortages.
The Ministry of Health also announced five more outbreaks in care homes and acute care facilities, at Joseph Creek Care Village, Eagle Ridge Manor, Sidney All Care, Sunrise of Victoria and Comox Valley Seniors Village. Two others were declared over, leaving 56 active outbreaks across B.C.'s health-care system – most at long-term care homes.
It's possible the recent resurgence in outbreaks is connected to the surge in COVID-19 deaths – provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry noted this week that people over the age of 70 remain at higher risk of severe outcomes than the general population, even if they are vaccinated. That's partly because people's immune systems become less responsive as they age, Henry said.
Officials still recommend vaccination for all eligible age groups, as it has shown to drastically reduce the chance of hospitalization, intensive care admission, and death.
Another 2,387 cases of COVID-19 were announced Wednesday as well, though daily infection numbers are not currently believed to accurately capture transmission in the province. Because testing capacity has been stretched to its limits during the Omicron wave, officials have started recommending that young, healthy people who experience mild symptoms forego testing and begin self-isolation instead.
Officials have said they believe B.C.'s COVID-19 transmission has already peaked and started to decrease, however, pointing to ongoing monitoring of the virus in wastewater.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
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.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.