Nearly 30,000 active COVID cases in B.C., two years after first
The province reported 2,033 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, including 266 in Island Health.
Active cases in B.C. now total 29,556, of which 1,768 cases are in Island Health.
Today marks the two-year anniversary of the announcement of the first COVID-19 case in B.C. — a man in his 40s from the Vancouver Coastal Health region who had returned from Wuhan, China.
Of 977 people in hospital in B.C. with COVID-19 Thursday, 101 were in Island hospitals and 10 of those were in intensive care.
The number of people in hospital is down slightly from Monday, as are the number in intensive care.
Recent COVID-19 modelling from the province suggested Omicron-driven new cases in the province had peaked — on Jan. 10, for example, there were 488 new cases reported in Island Health — but hospital admissions would peak this week followed next week by hospital census numbers.
Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer, is scheduled to present the latest modelling today.
This week, she extended the B.C. Vaccine Card until June 30 and said youth sports tournaments could resume on Feb. 1.
Fraser Health has the bulk of the province’s current active cases at 12,351 on Thursday, followed by 7,669 active cases in Interior Health.
On Thursday, the province reported two new health-care facility outbreaks — both in Island Health — at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital and assisted-living facility Nanaimo Seniors Village.
Island Health later reported an outbreak at Woodgrove Manor long-term care home in Nanaimo.
There are now outbreaks in about 62 health-care facilities in B.C.
There are other outbreaks in long-term care on the Island at Amica Douglas House, Eden Gardens, Glenwarren Lodge, Kiwanis Village Lodge, Saanich Peninsula Hospital long-term care, Oyster Harbour, Dufferin Place, Beacon Hill Villa, Salvation Army Sunset Lodge, James Bay Care Centre, Veterans Memorial Lodge, Sunset Lodge, Eagle Ridge Manor, Comox Valley Seniors Village, Fir Park Village, The Summit, Parkwood Court, Echo Village, Mount St. Mary Hospital, Arrowsmith Lodge and Chartwell Malaspina Care Residence.
There are three outbreaks in Island acute-care facilities, at Royal Jubilee Hospital, Victoria General Hospital and Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.
The province reported 13 new deaths on Thursday, one of which was a person from Island Health. A total of 2,588 people have died related to COVID since the pandemic began.
On Thursday, 90 per cent of people ages 12 and older in the province were fully vaccinated, and 43 per cent had received a booster third shot.