There are 523 people hospitalized in B.C. with COVID-19, 83 of whom are in intensive care.
The latest numbers released Tuesday (March 1) show a continued decline in hospitalizations across the province. Yesterday, the province reported 549 people in hospital and 85 in intensive care.
A majority of people in hospitals with COVID are vaccinated, making up 65.3 per cent of those hospitalized in the last two weeks. However, unvaccinated people are over six times more likely to be hospitalized from COVID than people who are vaccinated.
No new deaths were reported Tuesday. However, the weekend saw 22 new deaths.
Newly reported cases of COVID-19 totalled 466. Interior Health recorded 193 cases with 101 in Fraser Health, 95 in Island Health, 45 in Northern Health and 31 in Vancouver Coastal Health.
However, case counts are often believed to be higher than reported because of limited testing capacity. Any positive rapid tests must be self-reported to be counted in official statistics.
Just over 90 per cent of eligible British Columbians aged five and older have had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccination.
The positive report comes after Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry spoke at a news conference, saying that the COVID-19 situation in B.C. is ‘improving rapidly’. If conditions allow for it, Henry signalled the province could move to further relax COVID restrictions and layers of protection by Spring Break (March 14).
READ MORE: B.C. looks to potentially ease COVID measures by Spring Break
Health Minister Adrian Dix said 99 scheduled surgeries were postponed in the past week — 92 of which were in Interior Health. He added that all health authorities have begun re-booking surgeries that were postponed or cancelled due to the Omicron wave that hammered B.C.’s hospitals.
He added that 99.8 per cent of surgeries postponed in the first wave have now been completed as well as 94.2 per cent of those postponed in the second and third waves.
@SchislerCole
cole.schisler@bpdigital.ca
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
