Hospitalizations fall to 254 as B.C. reports no additional deaths from COVID-19

B.C. health officials reported 254 people in hospital with COVID-19 on Tuesday, including 48 in intensive care, as the province recorded no more deaths from the disease and 259 new cases.

The new numbers represent a decrease of 17 COVID-19 patients hospitalized within the last 24 hours, including one less patient in the ICU.

Overall hospitalizations, which typically lag behind spikes and dips in new cases, are down by 26.3 per cent from last Tuesday, when 345 people were in hospital with the disease and down about 63 per cent from a month ago when 688 people were in hospital.

The number of patients in intensive care is down by two from 50 a week ago and down by 55.5 per cent from a month ago when 108 people were in the ICU.

As of Sunday, 5.7 per cent of COVID-19 tests in B.C. are coming back positive, according to the province's COVID-19 dashboard. The number had been above 20 per cent though most of January but began to fall in February, along with hospitalizations.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has said that anything above a five per cent test-positivity rate indicates a more worrying level of transmission.

The provincial death toll from COVID-19 is now 2,974 lives lost out of 354,343 confirmed cases to date. The province noted in a statement that Tuesday's number of new and total cases was provisional due to a delayed data refresh.

There are a total of five active outbreaks in assisted living, long-term, and acute care facilities. Three outbreaks were declared over by the province on Tuesday.

As of Tuesday, 90.8 per cent of those five and older in B.C. had received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 87.1 per cent a second dose.

From March 14 to 20, people who were not fully vaccinated accounted for 16.2 per cent of cases and from March 7 to 20, they accounted for 26.2 per cent of hospitalizations, according to the province.

A total of 2.64 million people have received a booster shot to date.