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500 in B.C. hospitals Wednesday as rapid COVID-19 spread continues

More than 36,000 active cases, 6 more deaths confirmed
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B.C.’s provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says COVID-19 restrictions are likely to remain in place for some time as high infection rates continue. (B.C. government photo)

B.C. public health teams recorded another 2,859 cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, as the province reached 500 people in hospital with active infections.

That brings the number of active infections in the province to 36,641, with many more likely as testing capacity has been restricted and several B.C. labs have been forced to close due to infections among staff. The 500 in hospital as of Jan. 12 is up from 469 over the past 24 hours, with 102 patients in intensive care, up by five. Six more deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 for a total of 2,455 since the pandemic began in early 2020.

There have been five new health-care facility outbreaks at Langley Memorial Hospital, Laurel Place, Burnaby Hospital, Peace Arch Hospital (Fraser Health) and Kelowna General Hospital (Interior Health). The outbreak at Ridgeview Lodge (Interior Health) has been declared over, for a total of 49 facilities with ongoing outbreaks.

With almost 90 per cent of B.C. adults having had two doses of vaccine, from Jan. 4-10, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 20.1 per cent of cases. From Dec. 28 to Jan. 10, they accounted for 35.9 per cent of hospitalizations.

B.C. health authorities continue to operate scheduled appointment COVID-19 vaccination clinics around the province for residents age five and older. Registration and booking appointments in B.C. can be done online here, or by calling 1-833-838-2323 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., seven days a week.

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New and active cases for Jan. 12 by region:

• 982 new cases in Fraser Health, 16,524 active

• 697 new cases in Vancouver Coastal Health, 10,102 active

• 534 new cases in Interior Health, 4,628 active

• 195 new cases in Northern Health, 1,139 active

• 451 new cases in Island Health, 4,245 active


@tomfletcherbc
tfletcher@blackpress.ca

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