The number of COVID-19 patients in B.C. hospital intensive care units (ICUs) has fallen below 100 for the first time since August 30, as the province continues to show some success in controlling the deadly disease's impact on residents.
In total, 301 COVID-19 patients are in B.C. hospitals, which is one more than yesterday.
Seven people died overnight while fighting COVID-19 infections.
Those deaths include:
• three in Fraser Health;
• three in Island Health; and
• one in Vancouver Coastal Health;
The number of those actively fighting infections rose by 47 overnight, to 2,936, as the 375 people newly infected outnumbered those who the province newly considers to have recovered.
The B.C. government usually considers COVID-19 patients to have recovered if they have gone 10 days following first feeling symptoms, as they are therefore deemed to no longer be infectious. Some patients, however, continue to have health problems for months after their recoveries.
The 375 new cases detected in the past day includes:
• 98 in Fraser Health;
• 70 in Vancouver Coastal Health;
• 69 in Interior Health;
• 62 in Northern Health; and
• 76 in Island Health.
The 2,936 active cases include:
• 994 in Fraser Health;
• 476 in Vancouver Coastal Health;
• 537 in Interior Health;
• 360 in Northern Health; and
• 569 in Island Health.
Of the 218,801 people known to have been infected with the disease since the first case was discovered in the province on January, 28, 2020, 213,394 people, or 97.5%, are considered recovered.
Unvaccinated people continue to be the ones most spreading the disease.
Between November 23 and November 29, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 58.2% of new cases, and between November 16 and November 29, those individuals accounted for 68.1% of hospitalizations.
This is despite the vast majority of British Columbians being fully vaccinated.
B.C. government data show that 4,228,684 residents have had at least one dose of vaccine, while 4,072,923, or more than 96.3% of those are fully vaccinated.
Children as young as five years old started to get vaccinated on Monday. The result is that there has been a jump in the number of new people getting their first doses of vaccine. There were 4,483 people who got their first dose of vaccine in B.C. in the past day, up from a months-low total of 964 people on November 30.
The government estimates that 84.8% of eligible British Columbians, older than five years, have had at least one vaccine shot, while 81.7% of B.C. residents are considered fully vaccinated with two jabs.
The B.C. government last year estimated in that the province's total population is 5,147,712, so Glacier Media's calculation is that more than 82.1% of B.C.'s total population has had at least one dose of vaccine, and 79.1% of the province's total population has had two doses.
Booster shots have started to be given to immunocompromised people, those older than 70 years, who have gone six months from their second dose, as well as to those who received two AstraZeneca doses of vaccine and have gone six months since their second dose. So far, 434,790 people have received their booster dose, according to today's data.
No new outbreaks have been detected at health-care facilities, leaving the province with five ongoing outbreaks in seniors' homes and hospitals. •
