17 more people die from COVID-19 over 3 days as hospitalizations drop for 5th straight day

B.C. health officials reported 803 people in hospital with COVID-19 on Monday, including 119 in intensive care, as the province recorded 17 more deaths from the disease and 2,701 new cases over the weekend.

The new numbers represent a decrease of 43 COVID-19 patients hospitalized since Friday, including 17 fewer patients in the ICU. Hospitalizations are down 23 per cent from their peak at the beginning of the month. The number of patients in the ICU is the lowest it's been since Jan. 19.

Overall hospitalizations, which typically lag behind spikes and dips in new cases, are down by 15.1 per cent from last Monday, when 946 people were in hospital with the disease and down about 1.9 per cent from a month ago when 819 people were in hospital.

Deaths also lag cases, with higher numbers a reflection of Omicron's surge last month.

The province noted in a statement that Monday's numbers are provisional due to system-wide downtime.

The number of patients in intensive care is down by about 14.3 per cent from 139 a week ago and up by 22.6 per cent from a month ago when 97 people were in the ICU.

The provincial death toll from COVID-19 is now 2,764 lives lost out of 341,286 confirmed cases to date.

There are currently 39 outbreaks in acute care, long-term care and assisted living facilities, with eight outbreaks being declared over by the province.

Acute care outbreaks include:

• Queen's Park Care Centre.
• Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.

As of Monday, 90.4 per cent of those five and older in B.C. had received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 85.3 per cent a second dose.

A total of 2.4 million people have received a booster shot to date.

Travel tests

The federal government says it is close to removing mandatory PCR testing for fully vaccinated Canadians who travel outside Canada.

Currently any person who travels outside the country must provide proof of a negative molecular test (such as a PCR test) prior to returning home. The test must be taken within 72 hours of scheduled departure on a flight or arrival at a land border.

At a news conference on Friday, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos hinted at revisions coming to Canada's travel rules.

"Our government is actively reviewing the measures in place at our borders, and we should be able to communicate changes on this next week," he said.