Someone died of COVID-19 every 3.3 hours over the weekend in B.C.
CTV
B.C. recorded another 22 deaths related to COVID-19 over the weekend, as the number of test-positive patients in hospital topped 800.
B.C. recorded another 22 deaths related to COVID-19 over the weekend, as the number of test-positive patients in hospital topped 800.
The update from the Ministry of Health means from Friday afternoon to Monday afternoon, someone died in relation to COVID-19 every 3.3 hours, on average.
Nine of the deaths were recorded in the Fraser Health region, six were in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, four were in the Interior Health region and three were in the Island Health region.
The provincial death toll now stands at 2,490.
The latest fatalities increased B.C.'s seven-day average to 6.29 deaths per day. Just two weeks ago, the average was holding steady at 1.29 per day.
Hospitalization numbers also jumped significantly over the weekend, climbing from 649 on Friday to 819 on Monday. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has noted that number is an "overestimate" of COVID-19's impact on hospitals, as it includes so-called incidental cases – people who were hospitalized for reasons unrelated to the virus but tested positive during routine screening.
A case study of Vancouver Coastal Health's COVID-19 hospitalizations in December found 45 per cent were incidental, and officials expect the situation is similar in other regions.
