Single region behind B.C.'s surge in COVID-19 patients in hospital
The total number of patients with COVID-19 in B.C. hospitals surged to 324 on Thursday – an increase that can be traced entirely to one region of the province.
The latest data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control shows the number of coronavirus-positive patients has decreased in most health authority regions since last week, and remained the same in Vancouver Coastal Health.
In Fraser Health, that number jumped from 122 to 151 – an increase of about 24 per cent.
Fraser Health is the most populous health authority region in the province, and has seen wilder swings in hospitalization numbers than others since the government began releasing data on a weekly basis back in April.
Hospitalization totals now include both patients who are admitted because of a serious COVID-19 infection and those who are admitted for other reasons and test positive incidentally.
The number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units decreased to 22 Thursday.
Tracking coronavirus deaths has been more complicated since B.C. moved to a "30-day, all-cause mortality" reporting system, which includes every person who died within 30 days of testing positive for COVID-19 into the weekly total. Vital Statistics then works to determine whether the coronavirus was their underlying cause of death, a process that can take eight weeks.
The BCCDC preliminarily reported 22 deaths for the week ending on Sept. 3.
There were 617 lab-confirmed cases of the coronavirus reported that week, a total that only reflects people who were tested using a PCR test, and cases epidemiologically linked to them.
Since the vast majority of B.C. residents with COVID-19 symptoms don't qualify for a PCR test under the current guidelines, the weekly total is a fraction of actual transmission in the province – and independent modellers recently estimated the case counts are likely off by 100-fold.
Still, the number of reported cases has been declining for weeks. Hospitalizations have also seen an overall decline of about 24 per cent since mid-July.
But levels of COVID-19 in Metro Vancouver wastewater – another method used to get a rough sense of transmission – have been less promising in recent reports.
The latest COVID-19 Situation Report from the BCCDC notes that viral loads have "stabilized or begun to increase at some plants after falling from their most recent peak in late-June or early-July." That includes the plants in Vancouver and northwest Langley, which saw increases of 82 per cent and 51 per cent, respectively. The report does not include the Lions Gate plant, citing new concerns about unexpected variability in the readings.
"This may be due to unique features of the plant's operation, though the exact cause is under review. While under review, we have not included trends of these data," it reads.
The province administered another 20,464 doses of COVID-19 vaccine from Aug. 28 to Sept. 3, or about 2,923 per day. The biggest increase – 8,301 – was in second boosters.
Now that Health Canada has authorized Moderna's Omicron-targeting bivalent vaccine, the B.C. government expects to administer around 280,000 new doses per week by the end of September.
Officials unveiled their fall booster plans earlier this week, confirming the earliest appointments will be given to residents who are at higher risk of severe infection, such as the immunocompromised, and to those who have waited the longest since their last dose.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.