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The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has risen to 357, an increase of 16 more over yesterday.
Hospitalizations spike amid province-wide vaccine rollout
Published 4:19 PST, Tue December 22, 2020
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There are 16 more people in BC hospitals with COVID-19 since yesterday. That total now stands at 357, with 84 of those people in critical care. Last week, both hospitalizations and critical care occupancy peaked at 362 and 93 respectively.
Health authorities also said that 4,108 people have received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine so far in BC, with vaccine clinics open in all five health regions as of today. Manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna have provided guidance on how to safely transport the approved vaccines. As deliveries increase in the coming weeks, the vaccine will increasingly be available in more locations, health officials said.
There were 444 new cases of COVID-19 recorded in BC since yesterday, including five that are epidemiologically linked, for a total of 47,510. Of the new cases, 79 are in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 256 in the Fraser Health region, nine in the Island Health region, 78 in the Interior Health region and 22 in the Northern Health region.
The number of active cases continues to fall, with 9,481 reported today. There were also 12 new COVID-19 related deaths for a total of 777 deaths in BC.
Health officials announced two new healthcare facility outbreaks, both at locations with existing outbreaks. The number of locations with active outbreaks remains at 61, with 55 outbreaks in longterm care or assisted living facilities and six in acute care facilities. There was one new community outbreak at a farm in the Fraser Health region.
"Because community spread continues, even if you have been doing all you can to protect yourself and those around you, it is important to know the symptoms of COVID-19 and get tested if symptoms develop,” said health officials in a statement. “In particular, if you develop a cough, a loss of sense of smell or taste, fever or chills, or have difficulty breathing, contact your health-care professional or call 811 to get tested right away. Testing sites will be open over the holidays.”
"We also have to remember the virus spreads quickly, but shows up slowly, which is why asymptomatic testing doesn't eliminate our risk and cannot be relied on to keep us safe. By staying local, avoiding all non-essential travel and using our layers of protection, we can reduce the potential for a surge in new cases two weeks from now and keep us on the path of a safer and healthier 2021 for everyone in BC."
For the latest medical updates, including case counts, prevention, risks and testing, visit: http://www.bccdc.ca/ or follow @CDCofBC on Twitter.
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