COVID-19 hospitalizations rise slightly on Vancouver Island as 562 new cases confirmed

The number of patients in hospital for treatment of COVID-19 on Vancouver Island rose slightly on Tuesday, while the number of patients in intensive care declined.

According to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, 65 people are in hospital with COVID-19 in the Island Health region, up from 64 reported Monday, and up from 61 hospitalizations recorded last Tuesday, Jan. 4.

Of those patients, 11 are receiving critical care, according to the BCCDC, a decrease from the 13 confirmed Monday, and 15 recorded last Tuesday.

Roughly one month ago, on Dec. 10, Island Health reported 34 patients in hospital, nine of whom required critical care.

Across B.C., hospitalizations reached an eight-month high of 469 on Tuesday, including 97 patients in intensive care.

Three deaths related to COVID-19 were recorded across the province over the past 24 hours, including one in Fraser Health, one in Interior Health and one in Northern Health.

Since the pandemic began, 2,449 people have died of COVID-19 in B.C., including 147 in the Island Health region.

Health officials say 2,239 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed across the province Tuesday, including 562 cases in the Vancouver Island region.

The update brings B.C.'s number of confirmed active cases to 36,087, including 4,330 active case in the island region.

With COVID-19 testing capacity at its limits, however, the actual total is several times higher than what is being confirmed – at least five times higher – according to Dr. Brian Conway, medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre.

As of Tuesday, 88.8 per cent of eligible British Columbians have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 83.2 per cent have received two doses.

Meanwhile, 28.6 per cent of eligible B.C. residents have received three doses of vaccine.

As cases of COVID-19 continue to surge in the province, all sectors are seeing staffing shortages.

Health Minister Adrian Dix said Tuesday that nearly 28,000 health-care worker shifts were missed due to illness last week.

"All health authorities are in the process of updating their contingency plans to ensure people in B.C. continue to receive quality, critical, urgent care when they need it," Dix said.

On Tuesday evening, Island Health also announced two new outbreaks at long-term care homes on Vancouver Island.