1 new COVID-19 death reported in Island Health as hospitalizations decline
B.C. health officials say six more COVID-19-related deaths have been confirmed in the province Friday.
One was located in Island Health, three occurred in Fraser Health and two were reported in Interior Health.
Friday's update brings B.C.'s pandemic death toll to 2,468, including 152 in the island region.
The latest data released by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control shows a major decrease in COVID-19 hospitalizations on Vancouver Island Friday.
Thirty-seven people are in hospital with COVID-19 on the island, down from 65 reported Thursday, and 59 recorded a week ago on Jan. 7.
However, the province notes that it changed how hospitalizations are tallied moving forward on Friday. Hospital counts are now based on patients per hospital in each health authority, rather than where the patient's residence is.
The number of patients in intensive care remains unchanged Friday compared to the day before, with nine people receiving critical care, according to the BCCDC.
Around this time last month, on Dec. 14, 37 people were in hospital for COVID-19 in Island Health, including 13 patients in intensive care.
Hospitalizations:
- Jan. 14 (37)
- Jan. 13 (65)
- Jan. 7 (59)
- Dec. 14 (37)
ICU patients:
- Jan. 14 (9)
- Jan. 13 (9)
- Jan. 7 (13)
- Dec. 14 (13)
NEW CASES
Another 297 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the Vancouver Island region Friday.
The new cases were among 2,275 cases confirmed across the province over the past 24 hours.
Heath officials note that confirmed case counts are only a fraction of B.C.'s total number of cases, since testing capacity is at its limits.
However, the province adds that confirmed cases are still an indicator of transmission rates in B.C., since they are still measuring test positivity levels in B.C.
As of Friday, there are 35,943 confirmed active cases of COVID-19 in B.C., including 3,016 active cases in the island region.
Approximately 89 per cent of eligible B.C. residents aged five and older have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 83.3 per cent have received two doses Friday.
Meanwhile, 30.5 per cent of eligible British Columbians have received three doses of vaccine.
MODELLING UPDATE
Earlier Friday, health officials outlined the province's latest COVID-19 modelling data.
The modelling indicates that B.C.'s surge of COVID-19 cases, brought on by the Omicron variant, may have reached its peak and is heading towards a decline.
During the briefing, health officials also encouraged British Columbians to get vaccinated against the illness, noting that unvaccinated people are 12 times more likely to require hospitalization from COVID-19, and are at an even greater risk of severe illness that requires critical care.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.