COVID-19 hospitalizations on the rise in Island Health
The number of patients in hospital for treatment of COVID-19 continues to rise on Vancouver Island.
As of Tuesday, 100 people were in hospital for COVID in Island Health, according to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, up from the 81 patients reported Monday and up from the 58 confirmed one week ago on Jan. 18.
Meanwhile, 13 patients are currently in intensive care on Vancouver Island, an increase from the 11 reported Monday and 10 confirmed on Jan. 18.
Around this time last month, on Dec. 23, 41 people were in hospital for treatment of COVID-19 in Island Health, including 18 patients who required critical care.
No new deaths related to COVID-19 were reported in Island Health over the past 24 hours, according to a statement Tuesday from the B.C. Ministry of Health.
Across the province, only one death was reported in Fraser Health.
Since the pandemic began, 2,554 people have died of COVID-19 in B.C., including 162 in the Vancouver Island region.
NEW CASES
B.C. health officials confirmed another 163 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region Tuesday.
The new cases were among 1,446 cases confirmed across the province over the past 24 hours.
While confirmed cases are only a fraction of B.C.'s total number of COVID-19 cases, health officials say the tests still serve as an indicator of transmission rates and test positivity in the province.
As of Tuesday, there are 32,468 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C., including 1,679 active cases in the island region.
VACCINATIONS
Approximately 89.6 per cent of eligible British Columbians have received one does of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 83.6 per cent have receive two doses.
Meanwhile, 41.3 per cent of eligible B.C. residents aged 12 and older have received a third dose of vaccine as of Tuesday.
While speaking at a live briefing Tuesday afternoon, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said B.C.'s vaccine passport system would remain in place until the end of June.
She also announced that youth sports tournaments would be allowed to restart next week, though adult tournaments are still suspended at this time.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Pro-Palestinian protesters demand endowment transparency. But it's proving not to be simple
Over the last decade, students have pushed universities to cut financial ties with fossil fuel producers, weapons manufacturers, tobacco companies and prison firms. Here's why it's not always that simple.