B.C. public health teams recorded another 5,625 new cases of COVID-19 over the past three days, with 22 more deaths attributed to the coronavirus circulating in the province and around the world.
There are 819 people in B.C. hospitals with active COVID-19 infections as of Monday, Jan. 17, up from 646 on Friday, at least partly due to a new method of counting everyone in hospital who tests positive, even if admitted for surgery or another condition. There are 99 people in intensive care, up from 95 on Friday.
The daily confirmed case total has declined steadily since a peak of more than 4,000 in early January, when the health ministry acknowledged that the fast-spreading Omicron variant had pushed testing and contact tracing beyond capacity. There were 2,383 new cases recorded for Saturday, Jan. 15, 1,733 more for Sunday and 1,509 for Monday, in what is a sample of new infections that could be three or four times more each day.
There have been eight new health-care facility outbreaks at Mayfair Senior Living + Care, MSA Manor (Fraser Health), Heritage Square (Interior Health), Salvation Army Sunset Lodge, James Bay Care Centre, The Heights at Mt. View, Luther Court and Selkirk Village Assisted Living (Island Health). The outbreaks at Royal Columbian Hospital, The Waverly Seniors Village, Glenwood Seniors Community (Fraser Health) and German Canadian Benevolent Society Home (Vancouver Coastal Health) have been declared over, for a total of 50 facilities with ongoing outbreaks.
B.C. health authorities continue to operate scheduled appointment COVID-19 vaccination clinics around the province for residents age five and older. Registration and booking appointments in B.C. can be done online here, or by calling 1-833-838-2323 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., seven days a week.
RELATED: B.C. fitness businesses call for end to COVID-19 closure
RELATED: Airlines, airport say they can’t keep up with arrival tests
New and active cases for Jan. 15-17 by region:
• 1,884 new cases in Fraser Health, 17,789 active
• 1,155 new cases in Vancouver Coastal Health, 9,276 active
• 1,345 new cases in Interior Health, 5,192 active
• 556 new cases in Northern Health, 1,645 active
• 681 new cases in Island Health, 2,068 active
• four new cases of people who reside outside of Canada, 15 active
@tomfletcherbc
tfletcher@blackpress.ca
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
