B.C. reports 3,795 cases as hospitalizations climb

Another 3,795 cases of COVID-19 and three related deaths have been recorded across British Columbia, the province announced Friday in its last pandemic update of 2021.

The latest numbers from the Ministry of Health pushed B.C.’s seven-day average for COVID-19 infections to a new record high of 2,738 per day. That’s more than quadruple what the average was just two weeks ago, and case numbers are believed to be severely under-reported due to limits in testing capacity.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry recently advised fully vaccinated British Columbians who have mild symptoms and are not considered high-risk to forego testing, and instead assume they have the virus and begin self-isolation.

Even with those limitations, the province has repeatedly broken all-time records for daily case increases in the weeks since the Omicron variant was first detected in the Lower Mainland.

Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations has increased by 27 patients over 48 hours, following weeks with only minor fluctuations. The ministry said there are now 220 infectious COVID-19 patients in B.C. hospitals, including 73 in intensive care.

There has also been a resurgence of outbreaks in health-care settings. Officials announced two more on Friday – at Kopernik Lodge and Amica Douglas House, both long-term care homes – bringing the provincial total to 15. That’s up from just two health-care facility outbreaks as of two weeks ago.