Hospitalizations down by 35 as B.C. reports 6 fewer in the ICU and 11 more deaths over 3 days
Hospitalizations fall to 449 from 484 reported on Friday
B.C. health officials reported 449 people in hospital with COVID-19 on Monday, including 63 in intensive care, as the province recorded 11 more deaths from the disease and 997 new cases over the weekend.
The new numbers represent a decrease of 35 COVID-19 patients hospitalized within the last three days, including six fewer patients in the ICU.
Overall hospitalizations, which typically lag behind spikes and dips in new cases, are down by 18.2 per cent from last Monday, when 549 people were in hospital with the disease and down about 54.5 per cent from a month ago when 987 people were in hospital.
Deaths also lag cases, with higher numbers a reflection of Omicron's January surge.
The number of patients in intensive care is down by about a quarter from 85 a week ago and down by 55.3 per cent from a month ago when 141 people were in the ICU.
As of Monday, 7.8 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 is an indicator of community transmission.
The provincial death toll from COVID-19 is now 2,914 lives lost out of 350,941 confirmed cases to date. The province noted in a statement that the number of cases was provisional due to a delayed data refresh.
There are a total of 17 active outbreaks in assisted living, long-term, and acute care facilities, with three outbreaks declared over by the province.
As of Monday, 90.7 per cent of those five and older in B.C. had received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 86.5 per cent a second dose.
From Feb. 25 to Mar. 3, people who were not fully vaccinated accounted for 19.1 per cent of cases and from Feb. 18 to Mar. 3, they accounted for 31.9 per cent of hospitalizations, according to the province.
A total of 2.6 million people have received a booster shot to date.
Free rapid tests now available for over-60s
Starting Monday, people aged 60 and older can pick up free rapid antigen test kits from community pharmacies.
Eligible people can pick up one kit containing five tests every 28 days from one of the pharmacies listed here. You must provide your personal health number when picking up a kit.
The free tests have been available to those aged over 70 since Feb. 25. The province says kits for people under the age of 60 will be available "soon."
In a statement on Friday, the province said it is expecting to receive an additional nine million tests from the federal government, which it aims to distribute to members of the broader community.
Photographer turns mask litter into art
A fine art photographer is shedding light on the issues of waste from the pandemic and the climate emergency by using disposable masks she picked up off the streets as the subject of her new exhibit.
"My actual show is more about just bringing the two 'pandemics' together. I want people to be aware of COVID-19 along with the state of the environment and I wanted to express it this way," Michelle Leone Huisman said on CBC's The Early Edition.
According to a 2020 study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, humans around the globe are using approximately 129 billion disposable face masks and 65 billion plastic gloves every month.
Her photos are featured in her exhibit, Global Pandemic, which is on display and open to the public for free at Regent College's Dal Schindell Gallery, near the University of B.C. campus, until April 10.
With files from The Early Edition