COVID-19 weekend recap: B.C. reports 24 deaths, new hospitalization record
CTV
British Columbia recorded another 24 deaths related to COVID-19 over the weekend, as the number of test-positive patients in hospital neared 1,000.
British Columbia recorded another 24 deaths related to COVID-19 over the weekend, as the number of test-positive patients in hospital neared 1,000.
The Ministry of Health also announced nearly 5,000 new cases on Monday, though infection numbers are not currently considered accurate due to the province's revamped testing strategy, which mostly prioritizes people who are vulnerable to severe illness.
The 4,997 cases identified since Friday afternoon dropped B.C.'s seven-day average down to 1,982 cases per day, marking the first time it's been below 2,000 since Dec. 27. Despite the unreliability of daily case numbers, health officials said earlier this month that they believe transmission is declining, based on wastewater testing.
The province's active caseload also fell to 31,822, down about 2,200 cases from Friday.
But the latest coronavirus-related deaths pushed B.C.'s seven-day average up to nine deaths per day, the highest it's been in almost a full year.
Total hospitalizations also increased by about 60 over the weekend, reaching a new record high of 987. That includes so-called "incidental" cases in which a patient is admitted to hospital for reasons unrelated to COVID-19 but tests positive during routine screening. Additionally, some of those counted in the total contracted COVID-19 as part of an acute-care outbreak.
Earlier this month, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry shared a case study from Vancouver Coastal Health that found 45 per cent of COVID-19 hospitalizations were incidental. She said the situation was probably similar at other hospitals across the province.